A New Dream
by SNOzzie6
Summary: There's something special about Rylee. Becoming a Pokémon Knight was her main goal throughout her journey... but what if she's found new desires? Based off of Pokémon: Black and White with some original events. I own only my OCs. Rylee's adventure in Unova comes to a close in part 4 of A Valiant Voice.
1. Cruise Control

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **All right! Here we go! This is the final installment of A Valiant Voice! I'm super stoked for this, and I hope you are, too!**

 **I decided to post the trivia chapter onto Black is the New Beginning (it just seems better because it _is_ its anniversary today).**

 **FanFiction . net is experiencing a problem where views on stories aren't going up. I know you guys are reading this, and I'll be able to see favorites, follows, and reviews, but the view stats are going to be at zero for a while until the problem is fixed. The same goes for all of my other stories. If you're also experiencing this problem, fingers crossed that this issue gets fixed!**

 **I hope you also check out the trivia chapter and spend a moment (even a brief second) to celebrate the anniversary of Black is the New Beginning. If you'd like some pointless facts about the development of the story, check it out!**

 **Remember that I'll be posting on Thursday, too, then resuming the regular posting schedule.**

 **The theme for the fourth and final installment of A Valiant Voice- "A New Dream"- is "Someday The Dream Will End" from Final Fantasy X.**

* * *

"He's such a lazy bum." Iris grumbled next to me. "Ash, _wake up_!"

The young girl stood on the post of the bunk bed and vigorously shook Ash, but he replied with a loud snore. Iris jumped back down to my side and growled to herself, crossing her arms tightly in front of her chest.

"He's such a kid." she said.

I chuckled at her frustration. "Relax, Iris. He just needs the right kind of push." I glanced at Pikachu and shot him a wink. "Pikachu, if you would?"

Pikachu nodded, and electricity crackled from his cheeks. With a cry, he summoned Thunderbolt, which landed directly on Ash. The Pokémon trainer's eyes shot open as his scream ripped through the air. He tumbled over the side of the bunk bed and crashed to the ground. He groaned and opened his eyes, absorbing all of us in his upside-down view.

"You're finally awake!" Iris said. "We've been trying to wake you up for the past ten minutes! You're such a heavy sleeper, you'll sleep through anything!"

"Except Pikachu's Thunderbolt." I said, and Zorua snickered on my shoulder.

Ash sat up and rubbed his head. "Oh, yeah, we're back in Nuvema Town, right?"

I nodded. After saying goodbye to my brother, N, and my father, we traveled back to Nuvema Town and stayed the night at the younger Professor Juniper's laboratory. Ash had it lucky from being able to sleep after all the exhilarating events that happened just yesterday. An evil organization called Team Plasma tried to control my father, Reshiram, with their Pokémon control device and use him for their destructive purposes. My friends and I had stopped them, but it almost came at a terrible price. Forced to fight against my father, I used one of the most powerful moves alive, Roar of Time, which I didn't even know I was capable of using. Fatigued already from the fight, when I used the move, it sucked up all the energy left in my body, and I almost died. However, I don't remember the details that happened after that; only waking up with the faces of my friends hovering over me with overwhelming happiness.

Ash stood up and stretched. "Man, I was having a great dream, too!"

"Now, hurry up and go get dressed!" Iris said. She walked to the window and threw open the curtains.

"All right, all right..." Ash grumbled.

Iris and I headed to the kitchen, where Cilan and Professor Juniper had prepared our meal.

"Yum, that looks great!" Iris said.

As I walked by, I snagged a mini sandwich and popped it in my mouth. "Tastes great, too." I said.

Cilan playfully glared at me as he carried another plate of food to the table. "Now, now. Save some for everyone."

Ash bounded down the stairs, and we all sat down to eat. Axew, Pikachu, and Zorua sat near the table, each with a food dish piled up high with Pokémon food.

"So, did you sleep well, Ash?" Professor Juniper said. "I heard it took quite a lot to wake you up."

"Yeah." Ash snickered. "I had a great dream... except for the weird ending."

"Come on! It's not _my_ fault you couldn't wake up." Iris said.

"Let's not forget we've been through a lot, so we were all extra tired." Cilan said.

"Are you kidding me? I could barely sleep last night!" I said. "I was almost tempted to find a Drowzee so it could put me to sleep."

"That's right! My father left a message _raving_ about what you all went through." Professor Juniper said. "It must've been incredible!"

"It was! But I would've been just fine without a few parts." Iris said.

Professor Juniper turned her eyes to Ash. "So, Ash, what are you planning to do now?"

That's right. The Unova League finished a while back, so I wondered about what Ash would do now. The whole Team Plasma thing kept us busy for a while. I was curious to what he would say. As I listened intently, I brought a glass of water to my lips.

"I'm going back to Kanto!" Ash said.

I shot forward, and the water that was in my mouth spewed out like a misty sprinkler all over the table. My friends cried out in disgust and wiped away my spit-filled water. I coughed and wiped my mouth, embarrassingly sliding back in my chair. I crossed my arms and stared at Ash.

"Kanto?" I said. "You're... going home?"

"Yeah!" Ash said, stuffing his face with a sandwich. "I want to tell Professor Oak about my journey!"

"You seem excited! I'm sure he'll be thrilled!" Professor Juniper said.

"Yeah..."

I glanced at my friends, who all stared at Ash with surprised expressions. Apparently I wasn't the only one shocked by the news, albeit my reaction was a little more dramatic than theirs.

"Cilan? Iris? What do you think?" Professor Juniper said.

"Well..." Cilan said.

Iris shot out of her seat and slammed her hands against the table. "I know!" she cried. "I'm gonna go to Kanto with Ash!"

"You are?!" Ash said.

"I want to meet Dragon-type Pokémon from other regions!" Iris leaned over Ash with an excited grin. "Well, can I come?!"

"Uh... sure! Yeah, if you want to." Ash said, sweatdropping.

"That's _great_!"

"Well, well, Iris beat me to it!" Cilan said.

"Whaddya mean?" Ash said.

"I'd like to go with you, too. I've always wanted to visit other regions with a goal of broadening my horizons as a Pokémon Connoisseur."

"Wow, then I guess we'll all get to travel together some more!"

My friends all looked to me, waiting for my definite yes.

"Yeah." I said. "That sounds great."

"Ah, Kanto! The delicious thought of what kinds of Pokémon await!" Cilan said.

"I'm so psyched! What about you, Axew?" Iris said. Axew chattered happily in response.

"Have you got any idea as to _how_ you'll get to Kanto?" Professor Juniper interjected.

"...Not yet." Ash said.

"Well, you took a plane here, right? How about taking a cruise back?"

"A cruise?"

"A fleet of cruise ships sail from the Nuvema Town port. One of them heads to Kanto after making several stops of the Decolore Islands. There are many different Pokémon living on those islands, and some of them are really rare."

"Sounds awesome! All right, I'll take the cruise ship!" Ash said.

"Beautiful! The turquoise waters, paradise! It sounds like an exhilarating encounter!" Cilan said.

"Yeah, sure does!" Iris said. "I can hardly wait!"

I could. I pushed my plate away, my appetite vanished.

* * *

After we had all packed, we piled into Professor Juniper's car and headed to the Nuvema Town port.

"I'll go and get your tickets, so everybody just sit tight!" Professor Juniper said, climbing out of the car and heading to the ticket booth.

"You all right, Rylee? You've been pretty quiet ever since breakfast." Iris said.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." I said, smushed between Cilan and Iris in the back seat. I reached up and touched my locket.

 _We'll never say goodbye to each other. I promise. This journey might come to an end someday, but you'll still have the memories._

 _Even if it was going to come to a close after the Unova League, I'd still want you to be with me in the future._

I smiled to myself and looked at my friends. "I guess Ash's decision to go home left me kind of frazzled. But I'm okay now."

"Look! I think that's our ship!" Iris cried, jumping on her seat and pointing at the huge cruise ship floating next to the dock.

"Whoa, it's _huge_!" Ash said.

"Oh, the glitz and glamour! So gorgeously exciting!" Cilan said.

We climbed out of the car when we saw Professor Juniper heading towards us. She handed the tickets to Cilan.

"Here, you're all set!" she said.

"Thanks so much!" Cilan said.

"I have to get back to work, so I'll say goodbye. Take care, everyone!"

"Professor, thanks for everything!" Ash said.

"You take care of yourself, too!" Cilan said.

"Hope to see you again soon!" Iris said.

"Bon voyage! Best wishes!" Professor Juniper said. She started her jeep and we waved to her as it drove away.

"Let's get on board!" Ash said. We nodded and headed for the docks.

"This will be a nostalgic trip back home for you, Ash. But for Iris, Rylee, and me, this will be our very first journey to Kanto!" Cilan said.

"Yeah."

"I just can't wait to see what it's like!" Iris said.

"I can't either!" Cilan said.

I nodded absentmindedly. We approached the porter and showed him our tickets. He examined each one carefully before handing them back to Cilan.

"I'm afraid these four tickets won't allow you to get on board." the porter said. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?" we all said.

"Big bummer." Ash mumbled as we walked along the docks. "I thought we were gonna be able to ride that thing."

"Then what are these tickets good for?" I said.

"Excuse me." A ship assistant approached us. "Perhaps your tickets are meant to be used to board our ship. May I take a look at your tickets, please?"

"Uh, sure..." Cilan said, handing our tickets to the woman. She examined them.

"Ah, just as I suspected! These tickets are ours!"

"Thank goodness!" Iris said.

"All right, then, follow me!"

"Thank you!" we all said.

The foghorn of the large cruise ship went off, but the ship assistant led us to a small, dingy boat that floated next to it.

"This ship is a little smaller than the other one, but it looks pretty cool, too." Ash said.

"All aboard!" the ship assistant said.

"Thank you for riding the waves with us!" the ship's captain said. He had a thick mustache and black sunglasses.

"Sure..." Ash said.

"This ought to be great!" Cilan said.

"Yeah, should be fun!" Iris said.

I glanced at the two ship employees as we boarded the ship. "If you say so..."

The two ship employees directed us to our room.

"You see, our ship offers a wide range of services designed to make our passengers' voyage as comfortable as we can." the captain said.

"What kind of services?" Ash said.

"Well, I'll give you but one of our many examples." the ship assistant said. "We offer special Pokémon food for all passengers traveling with their Pokémon, and we have a playroom!"

Pikachu chattered at the sound.

"We also possess a PokéBall Relax-And-Refresh-O-Matic!" the captain said.

"A what...?" I said.

"It's a wonderful device that allowed your Pokémon to relax and refresh while they're still lounging inside their PokéBalls."

"If you'd like, I'll take your PokéBalls to our relaxation room right now." the ship assistant said. She offered a tray to us. "Place your PokéBalls here."

My friends placed their PokéBalls inside the tray. I crossed my arms as the tray filled.

"Axew, why don't you go to the playroom?" Iris said.

"You too, Pikachu!" Ash said.

" _Yeah!_ " Pikachu and Axew cried. " _What about you, Zorua?_ "

" _Um... I'll stay here._ " Zorua said, and I silently praised her for not being as gullible as everyone else.

"Now, allow me to bring you to your cabin." the captain said.

I glanced back at the ship assistant, Pikachu, and Axew as they headed down the hall.

 _"You see it too, right?"_ Zorua said through telepathy.

 _"Duh. I'm almost offended that you asked me that."_ I replied.

The captain opened the door to our room. "Here we are!"

There was no furniture in the room, save four beds propped up against the walls.

"It's smaller than I thought." Ash said.

"I'm sorry, cabins on cruise ships are pretty much all this size!" the captain said quickly.

Iris said down on the bed, bouncing a few times on it. I heard loud creaks from the springs. "The bed's pretty hard, too."

"Many customers prefer rock-solid, rock-hard beds nowadays!" I could see sweat forming at the captain's brow. Ash approached the flower painting on the wall, and the painting escaped from its hangers and swung back and forth against the wall. The captain cried out and rushed over to straighten the painting. "Our ship has a wares of antiques and ship history, so many of the cabin retains much of its original decor!"

"You mean it's _old_." Iris said.

The captain laughed nervously, and I feared he would wet his pants from nerves.

"Let's all relax. We'll have a relaxing time aboard this cruise ship, with some real old world charm!" Cilan said.

"You think so?" Ash said. Iris grunted in disagreement.

"Please stay in your cabin until the ship leaves port." The captain scurried out of our room and closed the door. I noticed the green light below the doorknob turned red.

My friends all plopped down on their beds, and for the next few minutes, it was silent.

"You mean to tell me that I'm the _only_ one that sees through this scam?" I said, facing my friends and crossing my arms.

"What are you talking about?" Ash said, peeking up from a magazine.

I groaned and facepalmed. "You guys are so _gullible_! Those ship employees are Team Rocket!"

"What?!" Iris hurried over to the door and tried to open it. "The door's locked!"

I sighed and shook my head. All my friends tried to open the door, but to no avail.

"Come on, let's get our Pokémon and get out of here." I said.

"Why are you so casual about this?!" Ash said.

"This is _Team Rocket_ we're talking about. We have nothing to worry about." I said. I reached up and plucked Leavanny's PokéBall from my necklace. "Would you like me to force our way out?"

"Open... up!" Iris cried as she vigorously jiggled the handle. The light below the door handle turned green, and the door flew open. Iris tumbled out, but quickly caught her balance. "See, I had that under control!"

"Right..." I said, placing Leavanny's PokéBall back on the chain. "Now, let's go find our Pokémon."

As we ran down the hallway, we noticed all the doors were wide open, revealing no other passenger on the ship. Ash found Oshawott's PokéBall in the middle of the hallway.

" _Ash!_ " We saw Pikachu sprinting towards us. He leaped into Ash's arms.

"Pikachu, where's Axew?!" Iris said.

" _Follow me!_ " Pikachu ran down the hallway, and we chased after him. We followed him to the playroom, where Axew waited intently by a machine that contained our PokéBalls in it. Cilan opened the door, and my friends collected their Pokémon.

"Now we can get off this ship." Cilan said.

"But first, we still need to find Oshawott." Ash said. He took off down the hallway, frantically calling Oshawott's name. We stopped when we saw one of the doors that lead to the outside was open. We saw the three Team Rocket members looming over Oshawott. "HEY! Get away from my Oshawott!"

"Twerps on deck!" James cried.

"With Pikachu!" Jessie said.

"How'd they break out?!" Meowth said.

Oshawott ran between the Team Rocket members and scurried over to us. Once they finally realized their cover was blown, they threw their disguises off, revealing their Team Rocket uniforms.

"Why are you trying to steal our Pokémon again?" I said. "You helped us back when we fought against Team Plasma!"

"That was then, this is now." Jessie said.

"And now, we plan to catch your precociously precious and powerful Pikachu!" James said.

"'Cause we're through helpin' you!" Meowth said.

"Our plan was proceeding so swimmingly!" Jessie said, pointing an accusing finger at Oshawott. "But Shorty here ruined it!"

"You really thought your plan would work?" I chuckled. "As if."

"Fine, then, I guess we'll have to force the issue!"

Jessie and James called out Amoongus and Woobat. Iris called out Excadrill. I reached up to grab Leavanny's PokéBall.

"Wait! Is battling on board really a good idea?!" Cilan cried, and I brought my hand back to my side. He's right. This ship was as old and outdated as a elderly home; I doubt it would be able to sustain this fight.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

"Quick, Woobat, dodge it!"

Pikachu attacked, but Woobat swerved around him.

"Amoongus, use Body Slam!"

"Dodge it by using Dig!"

" _Iris!_ " I cried, but Excadrill lunged into the ship. A few seconds later, geyser gushed out from the hole with Excadrill riding the top of it. Water spewed out onto the ship, and it quickly began to sink.

"Oopsy..." Iris said.

"I tried to warn you..." Cilan said.

The ship lurched to the side.

"We gotta get out of here!" Ash cried.

Iris and Ash returned their Pokémon back to their PokéBalls, and we sprinted towards the docks.

" _Rylee, can't you use Protect or something to try and clog that hole?_ " Zorua said.

I paused and glanced back. Team Rocket tried to use their Pokémon as a plug for the gushing hole.

"I... can't..." I said. "I promised Dad and N."

After the events of Team Plasma, I promised my dad and N that I would restrict my powers. I knew that the more I used them, the greater danger I put myself and my friends in. I didn't want any of them to get hurt because of me, so I was determined to close off my Pokémon side indefinitely, aside from occasionally talking with Pokémon. As I looked back, I saw an envelope laying on the ground.

"Rylee, come on!" I heard Ash call. The ship lurched again, and I tumbled to the wall. I pushed myself off, scooped up the envelope, and ran towards the docks. The distance between the boarding ramp and the dock had widened greatly.

"Jump!" Iris cried.

I gulped and picked up my speed. I heard the loud boom and felt the heat of an explosion from the other side of the ship that almost threw me off. When I reached the end of the ramp, I jumped for the dock. My foot landed on the edge of the dock, and I flailed my arms to try and balance myself, but I felt my weight pushing me back towards the ocean. Three pairs of hands grabbed my arms, and my friends all pulled me back onto the dock.

"Phew, that was close." Iris said. We watched as the ship sunk into the water.

I pulled out the envelope and showed it to my friends. "I found this."

Ash took the envelope and opened it. He pulled out four tickets. "It's our tickets! Team Rocket must've taken them!"

"Now we can finally board the real ship!" Iris said.

As Cilan examined the tickets, he gasped and began to panic.

"What's wrong?" I said.

"Our ship is about to leave any second!" he cried.

"Then we'd better hurry!"

We sprinted down the docks towards our ship. The cruise ship bellowed its loud foghorn, and we saw the porter heading towards the boarding ramp.

"Wait!" Ash cried. The porter turned about, and we ran to him, pausing to catch our breath. "Here, we have our tickets!"

The porter smiled. "All right, then. Welcome aboard."

We all sighed in relief and boarded the cruise ship.

* * *

My friends and I rested on the bow of the ship. Iris and I sat on top of a large, round seat while Cilan and Ash leaned their backs against it.

"That sure was a close one." Ash said.

"You know, this wouldn't have happen if it weren't for your ignorance." I snickered.

"How were we supposed to know that was Team Rocket?!" Iris said, and I shot her an "are-you-serious" glare.

"Welcome aboard! Glad to see you!" the porter approached us. "I'd like to thank you all for choosing our luxury cruise ship, the Decolore Queen. My name is Porter, and I'm the chief purser. I'm here to make sure your voyage is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible."

"Nice to meet you, Parker!" Ash said, and I stifled a giggle.

"Well, then, enjoy your voyage as we make several stops throughout the Decolore Islands!" Porter said.

"Thanks!" we all said.

We stepped up to the ledge and gawked at the ocean view before us.

"This'll be great! We're gonna have so much fun!" Ash said. "One last adventure before Kanto!"

His words were like a dagger to my heart.


	2. Sweet As Honey

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **The website's working again. Yaaaay!**

* * *

The next morning, my friends and I watched the ship's next stop get closer.

"Awesome, we're almost there!" Ash said.

"Which island is that?" Iris asked Porter.

"That's Honey Island. Known all over the world for its sweet honey, courtesy of the Combee that live there." Porter said.

"You think we might run into some?" I said.

"Most likely. They're very common. While you're at Honey Island, I recommend you try their honey ice cream. It's one of their most famous food items, and it's super delicious."

"Yummm, ice cream!" Iris said, clapping her hands.

"Honey Island has a lot of sweet treats, the only problem is trying to eat all of them!"

"Yeah! I'm gonna eat 'em all!" Ash cried, pumping his fist in the air.

"Wait a minute..." Cilan said. "Once we land on Honey Island, the ship might leave without us."

"But how else is Ash supposed to stuff himself with all their food while we're there?" I said. Ash slumped his shoulders.

"Don't worry, there will be another ship soon after we depart, and you can get on that one." Porter said.

"YEAH!" Ash screamed. "Honey Island, here we come!"

"I also need to warn you." Porter said. "Honey Island has many Combee living on it, but it is also crawling with Beedrill. You should be careful if you plan on going out into the meadows or forests."

"The only thing my plans involves is deciding what desserts I should eat first!" Iris said.

* * *

The cruise ship docked at Honey Island, and passengers filed out. My friends and I raced down the boarding ramp to the docks. The cruise ship's horn bellowed.

"All right! Let's eat!" Ash cried, licking his lips excitedly.

"Yoo-hoo! Welcome to Honey Island!" a woman waving a Combee-colored flag said. She had magenta hair tucked into a hat and wore hexagonal sunglasses and a green kimono with honeycombs on it. Next to her was a man with matching accessories, with green hair. "We're representatives of the Happy Honey Island Sweet Treat Tourist Bureau!"

"And we're pleased to offer you the Welcome Tourists Sweepstake! With a sweet pastiche of plentiful prizes!" the man next to her said.

"Wow, I wonder what you could win!" Iris said.

"I hope it's a dictionary." I said, my brain scrambling to understand half of the words they just said.

The man in front of us reached into the box and pulled out a piece of paper with an X, a miss. The woman next to him reached into the box and pulled out an X as well. Ash stepped up to the box.

"Oh, my! That's some cute Pikachu you have with you!" the woman said. Zorua and I glanced at each other and rolled our eyes. "I hope you win something extra special!"

 _"Watch him get a win."_ I said to Zorua telepathically.

Ash reached into the box and pulled out a piece of paper with a red bullseye.

"Look, I win!" Ash cried.

I threw my hands into the air in exasperation. Zorua snickered quietly.

"Woooowww! You're our lucky grand prize winner!" The woman pulled a red string and a mini confetti bomb exploded.

"So, what did Ash win?" Iris said.

"151 desserts to satisfy your sweet tooth!" The man rang a bell. "An all-you-can-eat feast!"

"And a case of Honey Island honey soda made with 100% succulent, sweet honey!" the woman said.

"Can we have some, too?" Iris said.

"Of course!" the woman said. "Sample sweets until your teeth hurt!"

My friends cheered, and I rolled my eyes.

 _Will they_ ever _learn?_

The two people led us to a large, white jeep. We piled into the back and took off.

"Once we arrive at the factory, you'll be able to enjoy all the desserts you like! Freshly baked, straight from the oven, and hot." the woman said. "And while you enjoy the beautiful coastal scenery, try a complimentary glass of honey-filled honey soda!"

The lady handed each of us a cup of honey soda. We all took a sip.

"Yummy!" Iris cried.

"Wow, that's great!" Ash said.

"No wonder this Honey Island soda is world-famous!" Cilan said. "It's naturally sweet, delicious, the way only nature makes it!"

I rolled my eyes; my brain grew sore from the numerous that I experienced in the past five minutes. Nevertheless, I took another sip of honey soda. Despite this pathetic scheme, the soda was pretty tasty.

Oshawott came out of his PokéBall, wanting some honey soda. The woman offered him a cup, and he happily drank it. We passed by a small swarm of Combees along our trip. The jeep stopped in the middle of a large and spacious field.

"All right, out we go!" the man said, opening the door.

We piled out, and my friends glanced around in confusion.

"Where's the factory?" Iris said. "This is just a meadow-"

The ground beneath us caved, and we all tumbled into a large hole.

"Hey, what's the deal?!" Ash cried.

The man and woman chuckled and threw off their disguises, revealing themselves as Team Rocket.

"Pikachu is coming with us." Jessie said.

"That's not gonna happen!" Ash said.

"Oh?" James pointed a claw-grabber machine. The claw shot out and snatched up Pikachu. "Fooled you!"

"Stop!" Ash cried. He tried to hoist himself up out of the hole, but he slipped and fell back onto his butt.

I leaned against the dirt wall and glared at my friends with a smirk.

"Oh, don't tell me you _knew_ about this the whole time!" Iris said.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm half-Pokémon, not completely stupid."

We helped each other out of the hole.

"Oshawott, Hydro Pump!" The gallons of water broke the claw machine, and Pikachu escaped.

"Woobat, use Air Slash!"

"Yamask, Shadow Ball!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

The attacks collided and created a huge explosion. The trees around us rustled, and a group of Kakuna fell from the trees to the ground.

"Oh, no." I gulped.

"What is it? They're just Kakuna." Iris said. "And a lot of them, at that..."

"Didn't you pay attention at all while you were in school?! Kakuna evolve into-!"

All at once, all the Kakuna glowed light blue and evolved into an angry swarm of Beedrill.

"RUN!" I cried.

We whirled around and sprinted out of the meadow and into a forest.

"Is everyone all right?" Cilan said.

"Yeah..." Iris said. She patted her shoulder, and her face paled. "Wait a minute! Where's Axew?!"

"Pikachu and Oshawott, too!" Ash said.

I glanced at my shoulder, seeing that Zorua was missing as well.

"Do you think they got lost?" Cilan said.

Ash pulled out his Pokédex and pulled up the information on Beedrill.

 _The Poison Bee Pokémon. Beedrill attack using poison stingers on their forelegs, antennae, and tail._

"You just _had_ to take part in that sweepstakes, didn't you, Ash?" I said.

"If you had _warned_ me before, then I wouldn't have done it!" Ash snapped. "How was I supposed to know that was Team Rocket?!"

I grumbled and facepalmed.

"Let's all calm down." Cilan said. "Let's find our Pokémon and get out of here."

* * *

~ZORUA~

After running for almost a mile without breaks, the other Pokémon and I collapsed on the trail path.

" _Man, that was a close one!_ " Oshawott said.

" _I've never seen so many Beedrill before!_ " Axew cried.

" _I have._ " Pikachu said with a shudder.

" _We wouldn't have gotten into this mess if you guys didn't fall for Team Rocket's scheme... AGAIN._ " I said.

" _I beg to differ! Their costumes had me fooled!_ " Oshawott said.

" _You would be fooled if I put on a fake mustache and called myself Carlos!_ " I cried, stomping my paw against the ground.

" _Hey, guys, let's just figure out a way to get out of here._ " Axew said. " _I think we lost Iris and the others while we were running._ "

"Huh?!" a voice said.

We looked up and saw Meowth from Team Rocket standing over us. We jumped to our feet and growled at him.

" _You!_ " Pikachu cried. " _What are_ you _doing here?!_ "

"Now, cool your suspicious jets! I know we pulled the wool over your naive eyes in the past, but the plain factor is we're all good and lost together!"

" _We wouldn't be lost if it weren't for you and your cohorts!_ " Oshawott said.

"Dig it! This fiasco happened on my watch, so it's my duty to personally guide you back to the port. Then you lonely lugs can rejoin with all your buds!"

" _Yeah, like we're going to believe_ that _._ " I said. " _Let's go, guys. We'll find the others without this furball._ "

A grumble echoed in the air, and Oshawott and Axew clutched their stomachs.

"Sounds like your tummy's runnin' on empty!" Meowth said. "You just leave it to good old Meowth! Follow me!"

Meowth trotted down the path, Oshawott and Axew following close in tow.

" _Please tell me I'm not the only one that sees right through him._ " I said to Pikachu.

" _Duh. Fool me once, man._ " Pikachu said.

" _More like fool me eight hundred times._ " I grumbled. " _There's no way I'd ever fall for that fleabag, especially after what he did to us back in Nimbasa City._ "

" _Let's just play along with it. Maybe we'll find the others with him tagging along._ "

I nodded, and we followed Meowth to a tree brimming with fruit. He used Fury Swipes to cut down a handful of fruit.

"Sink your tusks into this baby!" Meowth said, handing all of us some fruit. "As soon as you're done, we'll take off!"

As we ate our fruit, I glanced up at Meowth, who looked away with a mischievous grin. I glanced at Pikachu, who nodded knowingly at me. After we ate, Meowth led us down the trail.

* * *

~RYLEE~

We spent a good five minutes calling out to our Pokémon at the top of our lungs.

"You know, maybe if we actually went looking for them, we'd find them a lot sooner." I said, my throat hoarse from all my screaming.

"It's really quiet..." Iris said. Suddenly, a bush nearby us began to rustle. "Could that be the Beedrill again?!"

An Ursaring burst from the bush and roared.

"That's even worse!" I cried.

Hyper Beam formed in Ursaring's mouth.

"We'd better run!" Cilan cried.

We sprinted down the path. A Hyper Beam shot past us and crashed into a nearby tree.

"Rylee, we could really use some of your powers right now!" Iris cried.

"Right, now let's focus on making sure we get out of here with all our body parts!" I said, blatantly changing the subject.

Once we lost sight of the Ursaring, we caught our breath. Ash pulled out his Pokédex once again and looked up Ursaring.

 _The Hibernater Pokémon. Ursaring searches for honey in the forest daily. To reach its food, it often snaps trees with its forelegs rather than climbing._

"Stop looking up Pokémon and figure out how we're gonna find ours and get out of here!" I cried.

"I'm trying!" Ash said. "What kind of crazy island is this anyway?!"

"We'd be in actual civilization if it weren't for how hopelessly gullible you are!"

"Stop fighting!" Iris cried. "This is getting us nowhere!"

"Iris is right. We need to save our energy for finding our Pokémon." Cilan said.

* * *

~ZORUA~

We stopped when we came to a large, coursing river.

" _How do you suppose we get across this?_ " Axew said.

" _Relax! I got this!_ " Oshawott said. He dove into the water and swam to the other side. " _Now you do it!_ "

" _You know, some of us aren't Water-types!_ " I said.

"Just because you got the skills of a gold medal swimmer doesn't mean the rest of us are gonna be able to ride on your coattails!" Meowth cried.

" _Oh..._ " Oshawott chuckled. " _Guess that slipped my mind._ "

" _Why couldn't I have been lost with Articuno?_ " I groaned.

Oshawott swam back to the other side of the river.

"If we can find a hunk of wood, we could row across this river!" Meowth said.

We found a rotting piece of wood and a small plank to row with. Axew, Meowth, Pikachu, and I sat on the piece of wood with Oshawott in the back for rowing power. As we reached the halfway mark of the river, the current swept us down, steering us towards a large rock.

" _Oshawott, paddle faster!_ " I cried.

" _We'd get somewhere if you all HELPED me!_ " Oshawott snapped.

Frantically, we all paddled as hard as we could: Pikachu using Iron Tail, Oshawott using Hydro Pump, Meowth using the small wood plank, and Axew and I using our paws.

"Hey, it's workin'!" Meowth said as we drew closer to the other side of the river. "Say, you lugs sure know how to float my boat!"

I rolled my eyes. Axew jumped up and cheered, and a gush of water smacked into his face. A couple of Remoraids popped their heads out of the water and glared at us.

" _Don't mind us! Just passing through!_ " Pikachu said.

The Remoraids shot Water Gun at Axew.

"Hey, knock it off!" Meowth cried, which resulted in the Remoraids directing their attacks on him. Meowth lost his balance and started to fall back, but Axew and Pikachu grabbed him and pulled him back onto the log. We made it to the other side of the river. "That was a good operation! I was just thinkin' about what a great team we all make! Yeah!"

" _Oh, brother..._ " Pikachu rolled his eyes.

* * *

~RYLEE~

Ash, Iris, and I summoned our flying Pokémon- Charizard, Dragonite, and Articuno- to scope out the others from a sky view.

"Anything?" Ash called.

The three Pokémon look down at us and shook their heads.

"Oh..." Iris groaned. "Where could they be?"

" _Huh?_ " I heard Charizard grunt. " _Hey, over here._ "

We followed Charizard down the path, where we saw Jessie and James, with Woobat up in the air. Charizard, Dragonite, and Articuno surrounded Woobat, who shrieked in fear.

"Team Rocket! Because of your dirty tricks, Axew, Pikachu, and Zorua are lost!" Iris said. "What do you have to say to that?!"

"For your twerpish information, we lost Meowth! So what do _you_ have to say to that?!" Jessie said.

"This isn't our fault! _You're_ the ones who tricked us!" I cried. Then I glared at Ash. "And it's _your_ fault for falling for it!"

"Well, maybe you got a point..." Ash said.

"Don't _agree_!" Iris cried.

"Whatever! Woobat, attack!" Jessie said.

"Attack all those huge, powerful Pokémon?!" James said, sweatdropping.

"Yeah! Woobat, use Air Slash!"

Woobat attacks, and our Pokémon dodged.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

"Dragonite, Ice Beam!"

"Wait! Remember the last time this happened?!" Cilan cried.

Woobat dodged the attacks, which crashed into a group of trees. We heard buzzing, and a swarm of Beedrill shot from the forest and charged for us.

"Not again!" Ash cried.

* * *

~ZORUA~

As we walked along the path, Axew paused for a moment to take a closer look at a sleeping Victreebel. Meowth, upon laying his eyes on the large, eggplant-shaped Pokémon, screamed.

"If you don't stay away from that Pokémon, you're gonna become its next meal!" Meowth cried.

Pikachu yanked Axew away, and Meowth ran into its place. The Victreebel awoke and screamed, swallowing Meowth halfway. We all screamed and tugged furiously on Meowth to free him. He came flying out of Victreebel, along with a gush of Stun Spore, and Victreebel scurried down the pathway.

"Well, this is just wonderful." Meowth groaned.

" _Don't worry, I'll take care of this._ " Axew said. " _I'll find some herbs, and we'll make a remedy for Meowth!_ "

" _Great idea!_ " Pikachu said.

Axew ran into the forest to look for herbs. Pikachu gathered some water. When Axew returned with herbs, Oshawott crushed it with his scallop shell. We fed Meowth the remedy and gave him the water to wash down the bitter taste.

"I don't get why you bunch of lugs are nice enough to give me a hand like that." Meowth said.

" _Well, we may not like you all that much, but that doesn't mean we won't help you sometimes._ " Pikachu said.

" _Yeah, we're not completely heartless!_ " I said.

Meowth dozed off for a few minutes. When he awoke, he jumped to his feet.

"Yeah! I feel as fit as a fiddle!" he cried. "I owe my good health to you folks! Thanks for everything, buddies! I feel like no matter what trouble we got into, we handled it like the greatest of teams! It's one for all and one for all!"

Meowth collected us all into a group hug. Pikachu and I glanced at each other. Even though we helped Meowth out, that didn't mean he didn't still have something up his furry sleeve. After the awkwardly touching moment, we continued down the path. At the crest of the hill, we saw the docks below us.

" _There it is! We're almost there!_ " Axew said.

" _Maybe everyone is already at the docks by now!_ " Oshawott said. " _Do you think we still have time for dessert?_ "

We scurried down the hill. When we came to a road, a police car stopped in front of us. A policewoman came out of the car, her magenta hair hidden in a officer cap.

"Well, I wondered where we might find all of you." the policewoman said. "We had gotten a report of a missing Pikachu, Oshawott, Axew, and Zorua, and we were scouring the area looking for you! What a relief to see you're all safe!"

"This is Car #1!" a police man with purple hair said into a walkie-talkie. "We found Pikachu, Oshawott, Axew, and Zorua, and we'll bring them to the Pokémon Center straightaway!"

" _You know, that car looks awfully familiar._ " I mumbled to Pikachu.

" _Yeah... it looks kind of like that white jeep we rode in for our 'tour'._ " Pikachu said.

" _See, you're catching on._ "

"Now, if you all would please get on board right away." the policewoman said, opening the door.

"Now you can all go back and hang with your good buddies again!" Meowth said. "Now why don't we all get in the nice, big car with the nice people and get it in gear!"

Oshawott and Axew hopped into the car, but Pikachu and I lingered outside on the road.

"Oh, what's wrong, Pikachu?" the policewoman said. "All of your trainer friends are waiting for you back at the Pokémon Center."

"Come on, time's a-wastin'!" the policeman said.

"There's nothing to be afraid of! The old clock is ticking!"

"In you go!" Meowth said.

Together, Meowth and the policewoman seized Pikachu.

" _Hey, get away from him!_ " I cried. I summoned a Shadow Ball and launched it at them. Meowth and the policewoman jumped away, and Pikachu scurried to my side.

"Just who do you think you are, attacking a police officer like that?! I ought to have you arrested!"

" _Like you really expected me to believe this ruse?_ " I said. " _I'm a Pokémon, not an idiot!_ "

"Why, you!"

Meowth and the policewoman lunged at us, but they stopped when we heard a roar. Articuno, Dragonite, and Charizard flew down from the ground and hovered about us.

" _Articuno!_ " I said. Articuno glanced back at me and nodded.

"Zorua!" I turned and saw Rylee and the others running down the road towards us. "Thank goodness you're all right!"

I ran over and leaped into her arms.

"Who are you people?" Cilan said.

"Really, guys?!" Rylee cried. "Articuno!"

Articuno flapped her wings, and the sirens at the roof of the car and the black paint blew away.

"So, it's you guys again!" Ash cried.

"Prepare for trouble-!" Jessie said.

"Shut up!" Rylee cried. "Gosh, you people give me a headache!"

"How dare you interrupt our motto! Woobat, use Hidden Power!"

"Yamask, Shadow Ball!"

Jessie and James called out their Pokémon and they launched their attacks.

"Fury Swipes!" Meowth cried, extracting his sharp claws and lunging at us. Halfway, a strange expression appeared on his face, and he stopped right in front of us.

" _Huh?_ " Pikachu said, he and I silently questioning his hesitation.

"Dragonite, Ice Beam!"

"You too, Articuno!" The combined Ice Beam hit Team Rocket, freezing them into a giant block of ice.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" The column of fire smacked into the Team Rocket popsicle, shooting them off into the sky and out of sight.

"You know, that honey soda wasn't all that good..." Iris said.

Rylee and I rolled our eyes.

* * *

~RYLEE~

We traveled to the Pokémon Center and treated our exhausted Pokémon.

"You've all had a pretty rough day." Nurse Joy said. "The coastal line is safe here on Honey Island, but closer to the mountains, Beedrill and Ursaring can be quite a problem."

"No freaking duh." I said, crossing my arms.

Audino and Nurse Joy prepared us an array of honey treats: pancakes covered in honey, honey-filled roll cake, honey-paste sponge cake, honey-covered parfait, and honey pudding, with Moo-Moo honey milk.

"Eat up!" Nurse Joy said.

"You bet!" Ash cried. He shove an entire honey roll cake in his mouth. "SO GOOD!"

"It doesn't get any better than this!" Iris said, scooping out a large portion of her parfait.

"This Moo-Moo honey milk combines the smooth and rich taste of Moo-Moo Milk with the silky sweetness of wild honey! Truly the perfect blend!" Cilan said while Oshawott shoved an entire sponge cake in his mouth like a sawmill.

I laughed and shoved a giant spoonful of honey pudding into my mouth. "This sure is worth it after all we've been through. Maybe this'll teach you guys to be more observant."

"Hey, if I get to pig out on dessert every time we run into Team Rocket, I'll gladly stay ignorant!" Ash said.

I rolled my eyes and smiled.


	3. The Eye of the Beholder

Once our visit in Honey Island came to an end, we boarded the next cruise ship and watched the island drift off into the sea.

"I wonder what Pokémon we'll see on the next island." Ash said.

"Hopefully not Beedrill or Ursaring." I said, and my friends chuckled nervously.

"I just love this ocean breeze! It's so nice!" Iris said.

"It's going to be a long ride until the next port, so we've got lots of time to enjoy it!" Cilan said.

"Well, there is the Marine Cup Tournament you could enter." Porter said as he approached us.

"Hey, Porter, when did you get here? I thought the ship we saw you on yesterday had left already." Iris said.

"That's right. I'm _this_ ship's porter. You saw my cousin, Porter, on yesterday's ship."

"Oh, so it's just like Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny."

"Great. More people to be confused about why they all look exactly the same." I said.

"Tell us more about that Marine Cup Tournament!" Ash said.

"It's where passengers engage in Pokémon battles, all vying to be the top prize winner." Porter said, taking us to the ship's battlefield.

"I want to enter!" Ash cried.

"Me too!" Iris said.

"There's no better way to evaluate a battle than while sampling the delicious breeze the ocean will serve up!" Cilan said.

"To put it in English terms, I'll sit back and watch as well." I said.

"I'll make all the arrangements." Porter said. "And don't forget the Ripple collection. Mrs. Ripple's exhibit will be displayed in the ballroom for everyone to see as soon as the tournament ends."

"Mrs. Ripple?" Ash said.

"Yes. That's her over there." Porter pointed to an older woman with short, curly, blonde hair wearing a pink dress suit. She stopped and turned around, as if waiting for someone to catch up.

"Her face looks awfully familiar to me..." Cilan said.

"I'm sure you've seen her on TV before. Mrs. Ripple is one of the most famous gem collectors in the Unova region." Porter said.

"Something wrong?" Mrs. Ripple said. "Come here, Purrloin."

 _Uh, oh._

"Purrloin?!" Cilan said, and I felt his body stiffen. A Purrloin strolled out from around the corner. "That's right! She's the gem collector who has a Purrloin! I knew there was a reason I remembered her!"

Purrloin glanced over, setting its green eyes on Cilan. Cilan whimpered and scurried behind me.

"You know, one of these days, you'll grow out of your irrational fear of Purrloin." I said. "It'd be easier if you actually told us _why_ you're so afraid of them."

"Never!" Cilan said.

Pikachu and Axew went over to greet Purrloin.

"That's so sweet! You want to be friends? Purrloin thanks you!" Mrs. Ripple said in complete contradiction to Purrloin's expressionless face.

"It's great to meet you, Mrs. Ripple." I said as we approached the woman, having to literally drag Cilan over closer to her and Purrloin. "My name is Rylee."

"Nice to meet you all!"

"My name is Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu!" Ash said, to which Pikachu chattered after he was mentioned.

"My name is Iris!" Iris said.

"And my name is Cilan. Nice to meet you..." Cilan said, his voice cracking every other syllable from how nervous he was. He glanced at Purrloin suspiciously. Purrloin looked up at Cilan and glared at him, growling slightly. Cilan whimpered and hid behind me and Iris.

"We get it, Cilan. You don't like Purrloin very much." Iris said.

"Am I that obvious?" Cilan said behind Iris's huge hair.

"You'll have to excuse Purrloin. I'm afraid it's in a bad mood, and the Eye of Liepard's the reason why." Mrs. Ripple said, scooping Purrloin into her arms.

"The Eye of Liepard?" Ash said.

"That's the name of one of my gems."

"Would you show us?" Iris said.

"Sure. Follow me."

We follow Mrs. Ripple into the ship and towards the more luxurious cabins. A Watchog stood guard at the door. We entered Mrs. Ripple's cabin, which had a lot of fancy furniture. My favorite was the security camera hanging over us, pointed right at the suitcase sitting on top of the table in the center of the room- I hope you could detect my sarcasm. Mrs. Ripple opened the suitcase after deciphering its lock, revealing many beautiful gems inside.

"This one is the Eye of Liepard." Mrs. Ripple said, pulling out a round, green gem with a black pupil-shaped dot in the center, making it look like an eye.

"Exquisite! Its deep color matches Liepard's eyes exactly!" Cilan said, and I was relieved that he got over his frightened little girl stage.

"You can only find this gem in Unova. It's the largest one that has ever been discovered to date. However, although it's precious to me, it's not so to Purrloin. It appears to be very unhappy that I have it at all." Mrs. Ripple said, to which Purrloin walked out of the room.

"Perhaps Purrloin thinks you love the gem more than you love it... Although, that's just a guess."

The door opened, and a man dressed in a blue suit with many colorful rings entered the room. Watchog growled at the man for his rude barge-in.

"I've been looking for you everywhere!" the man said. "Nice to see you, Mrs. Ripple!"

"Mr. Shaw, what can we help you with?" Porter said.

"I'd like Mrs. Ripple's help, concerning that magnificent gem collection of hers." Mr. Shaw stared hungrily at the Eye of Liepard. "So this is the Eye of Liepard. It's far more beautiful that I thought. It would be an _excellent_ addition to my gem collection!"

Mrs. Ripple placed the gem back in her suitcase and closed it. "I'm afraid not. These gems are much better off when they're available to the public. As I've said before, I have no intention of selling it to you."

"But, Mrs. Ripple, I'm begging you to reconsider for the sake of gem collectors!"

"That's my answer. Please leave."

"All right. But don't forget, I'm known as the Carvanha of the gem collecting world. Once I have my eye on something, it will be mine!" he chuckled sinisterly, and Watchog slammed the door angrily in his face.

"What is wrong with him?" Iris said. "He's so annoying!"

"He said he was going to make the Eye of Liepard his... What does that mean?" Cilan said.

"Beats me." Ash said.

* * *

The Marine Cup Tournament started, and Iris was the first match. She battled against a man name Teak, who had short, olive hair and wore shaded glasses. He was dressed in a purple vest, a light purple button down shirt, gray trousers, and a gray fedora, and a gold necklace. Iris sent out Axew and Teak sent out Vanillite, to which Iris and Axew were not very thrilled about.

"All right, Axew, we're going to win this no matter what!" Iris cried after her slight nervous breakdown.

"Iris, Axew, you can do it!" Ash called from the sidelines.

"Since this will be a one-on-one battle, Iris has all her hopes riding on Axew." Cilan said, him and I watching the battle higher above.

"I hope Axew can handle the pressure." I said. I felt Cilan tense again, and I followed his line of sight to Purrloin, who trotted up the stairs on the opposite side of the ship. He shuddered. "Is this ever going to end?"

"Ask me again when Purrloin are extinct." Cilan mumbled.

"Axew, use Scratch!"

"Vanillite, Double Team!"

Vanillite's image spread across the battlefield, and Axew looked at them all in confusion.

"Stay calm and attack them all with Dragon Rage!"

Axew launched a ray of Dragon Rage that took out the fake Vanillites.

"Okay, use Ice Beam!"

Vanillite's attack hit, and Axew was defeated.

"Whoa... that ended before it even started." I said. "I guess all that just leaves Ash."

Iris joined us, and we watched the rest of the battles take place. The final round was between Ash and Teak.

"Oh, boy! This is bound to be a great battle!" Cilan said.

"Yeah, and I know who's gonna win!" Iris said, pumping her fist in the air. "Go, Ash and Pikachu!"

Teak called out Galvantula.

"That's weird. I wonder why he's using Galvantula instead of Vanillite." I said.

Ash had the same question, to which Teak answered that he promised use Galvantula when he made it to the final round.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Galvantula, use Thunderbolt, too!"

The two attacks collided, and the two approached each other as each was ablaze with thousands of volts of electricity. As I glanced around the battlefield, I noticed the slightest nod come from Teak, to which Galvantula nodded back and sent the Thunderbolts up and into the electrical system. The widescreen TV hovering above the battlefield went out.

"Uh, oh..." Iris said.

Teak's eyes traveled around at the concerned passengers, a mischievous smirk appeared on his face.

"What is he up to?" I said quietly.

A few minutes later, the screen came back on.

"All right, Signal Beam!"

"Dodge and use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu lunged at Galvantula and attacked. Galvantula crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Ash had won the tournament.

"Congratulations, Ash!" Iris said as we joined him on the battlefield.

"You really demonstrated Pikachu's sharp-hedged attacks with a sparkling victory!" Cilan said. Suddenly, Purrloin ran past us to the center of the battlefield. Cilan shrieked like a little schoolgirl. "AH! Purrloin! Oh, no!"

Purrloin lifted its nose up and sniffed the air frantically. Its eyes rested on Teak as he called Galvantula back into its PokéBall. Purrloin lunged at Teak and landed on his face.

"What are you doing?!" Teak cried.

"Knock it off, Purrloin!" Ash cried, running over and tugging on Purrloin's hind legs.

"Why is Purrloin so upset?" Iris said.

As Ash tried to yank Purrloin away, its grip on Teak slipped, and Purrloin went flying into the air.

"Look out!" Ash cried.

Purrloin landed in Cilan's hands. I sucked in a breath as he stared down at the Devious Pokémon. Quickly, Cilan whipped the cat Pokémon out of his arms with an ear-splitting scream. Purrloin landed on the ground and scurried away.

"Get it off, get it off!" Cilan cried, batting away the purple cat hairs left on his clothing and attempting to wipe its scent off on me.

"Cilan, knock it off!" I cried, grabbing his wrists and throwing his arms back down to his sides. "Geez, I'd rather listen to you speak Connoisseur than act like a tantrum-prone two-year-old."

"Sorry..." Cilan said, a blush creeping over his cheeks.

* * *

We followed Purrloin to the mini hospital in the ship, where Mrs. Ripple stayed in one of the rooms after passing out. We learned from her and Porter that the Eye of Liepard had been stolen during the Marine Cup Tournament.

" _I'm sorry, Mrs. Ripple. I failed you..._ " Watchog said, bowing his head.

"Don't be upset, Watchog. Someone else is to blame, not you." Mrs. Ripple said.

"Who would steal the Eye of Liepard?" Iris said.

"Um... everyone?" I said. "It's a pretty rare gem. A lot of people would do anything to get their hands on it."

"A gem disappears from a locked room..." Cilan said. "I smell a rotten and distasteful stench of a crime!"

Iris sweatdropped next to me with a look of horror, knowing where this was heading. Cilan slapped on his detective hat.

"Which means... it's DETECTIVE TIME!" Cilan pulled out his magnifying glass. "You leave everything to Connoisseur Detective Cilan!"

Iris and I side-glanced at each other, and we chuckled in our discomfort. Ash, on the other hand, was enthralled by all of this.

"Now, if somebody did steal it, the main suspect would have to be Mr. Shaw! I say we investigate his actions first!" Cilan said.

"That does make sense, considering he's openly expressed how much he wanted the Eye of Liepard." I said. "Maybe he'd resort to stealing it."

"Precisely! Let's find our suspect!"

* * *

The ship captain escorted Mr. Shaw to Mrs. Ripple's cabin, where we interrogated him.

"I've told you a million times! I admit that I entered Mrs. Ripple's room without her permission, but it was only to get a closer look at the Eye of Liepard! I would never think of stealing it!" Mr. Shaw said.

"Oh, really? Then let me show you something." the ship's captain said. His shipmate showed a small tablet that replayed footage from the security camera. "Mrs. Ripple and I had made a previous agreement to have a camera installed in the room with the gems."

Mr. Shaw gasped. The room was empty, and because of electrical problems, the footage had been cut off for a few seconds. When the images came back, it showed Mr. Shaw standing over the opened suitcase, the Eye of Liepard missing.

"I swear, it wasn't me! The gem briefcase was wide open by the time I entered the room! The Eye of Liepard was already gone by them! Believe me!" Mr. Shaw said.

"Mr. Shaw, I don't like this anymore than you do, but I'm going to have to ask you to stay in this room for the time being. I'm sorry." the captain said.

After the interrogation, we headed to the exhibit room to discuss.

"It's _got_ to be Mr. Shaw! I know it!" Iris said. "I know the camera blacked out for a second, but I'm sure he stole it!"

"Hold on. Mr. Shaw said he didn't steal it." Ash said.

"We performed a thorough search of all of his belongings. The Eye of Liepard wasn't anywhere to be found." Porter said.

"He must've hidden it! Let's go and look!" Iris said.

"Hold it right there!" Cilan said. "There's no doubt that Mr. Shaw wanted the Eye of Liepard, so he must've stolen it! Yes, that is a logical assumption. But does that guarantee the assumption is accurate? It's true that Mr. Shaw caused Watchog to fall asleep, and then crept into Mrs. Ripple's gem room, but sometimes the obvious can cause people to jump to conclusions." Cilan began to pace the floor. "And that mistake could very well lead us from the truth!"

"Then, you figured out who really did it?" Ash said.

"Honestly, I haven't the slightest idea!" Cilan said, and we all groaned. "See, I've never really encountered a mystery quite like this before, so... Let's see... Watchog fell asleep, and then Mr. Shaw entered the room... but the gem was already gone..."

As Cilan mumbled to himself, he realized Purrloin stood right next to him and stared at him. He screamed and jumped away.

"Will you _please_ stop staring at me while I'm right in the middle of my THINKING TIME?!" Cilan cried.

" _Listen to me, people!_ " Purrloin cried. " _I know something about this crime!_ "

"You do?" I said, and I translated for my friends. Cilan stopped his panic attack and listened intently. I crossed my arms. "You attacked that Teak man after the Marine Cup Tournament. Do you think he had something to do with it?"

" _Yes! And he would've already been caught if our champion over here didn't yank me away!_ " Purrloin said, glaring at Ash.

I turned to my friends. "We should go ask Teak some questions. Purrloin believes he has something to do with this."

Purrloin sighed and jumped onto the opposite shoulder Zorua was perched on. Cilan shuddered dramatically. " _Thank you! Someone who finally understands me! Let's go!_ "

* * *

We headed over to Teak's room. Ash patted his knuckles a few times against the door. We waited a few seconds, but there was no response.

"Oh, let me." I said. I pushed Ash out of the way and pounded my fist against the door. "TEAK! Open up!"

Teak opened the door a crack, revealing a partial section of his face.

"What do you want?!" he growled.

"What do you know about the Eye of Liepard that was stolen from Mrs. Ripple?" Porter said.

"The Eye of Liepard? I was battling in the tournament the whole time. I had nothing to do with it." Teak said.

Purrloin hissed. " _Liar._ "

Teak glared at Purrloin. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm exhausted. I'll see you later."

Teak closed the door in our faces. Purrloin growled again.

"Hey, wait a minute, Teak!" Ash cried, but he didn't respond.

"Purrloin obviously isn't very fond of Teak." Iris said.

"But Teak was battling in the tournament when the Eye of Liepard was stolen." Porter said. "I don't see how he could've had anything to do with it. It just doesn't make any sense."

"Wait just a second. If memory serves me well, the gem disappeared during the blackout. So we need to figure out the blackout's cause." Cilan said.

"Remember during the final battle? Those combined Thunderbolts caused the electrical system to fail!" I said.

Cilan nodded. "Let's head back to Mrs. Ripple's room."

We did so. Once Cilan had collected enough data, he gathered everyone together at the ship's battlefield.

"I hope you're doing okay, Mrs. Ripple." Ash said.

"Yes, I am. Thank you." Mrs. Ripple said. She turned to Cilan. "How are you at finding the Eye of Liepard?"

"Why do you people keep wasting my time?" Teak grumbled as Porter escorted him onto the battlefield. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest.

"Now that you're all here, I'll tell you. As you all know, Mrs. Ripple's gem, the Eye of Liepard, disappeared from her cabin. I, Detective Connoisseur Cilan, will explain how it happened and unravel the mystery that took place inside that cabin!" Cilan said. "I've concluded that the Eye of Liepard was stolen during the final round of the Marine Cup Tournament, the battle between Ash and Teak. Iris, where were you, and what were you doing?"

"Me?" Iris said, dumbfounded. "I was cheering for Ash with you and Rylee."

"And you, Porter?"

"I was out searching the ship for Purrloin, along with Mrs. Ripple." Porter said.

"And Mr. Shaw?"

Mr. Shaw sweatdropped. "Now, look, I know I am _not_ the one that stole the gem, and that's the honest truth!"

"Mr. Shaw, you've got to calm down!" the ship's captain scolded.

Cilan turned to Purrloin. "Purrloin, we need to know where _you_ were."

" _Huh?_ " Purrloin said. " _I was in Mrs. Ripple's room._ "

"Aha!" Cilan said after I translated. "Therefore, Purrloin had to have witnessed the entire crime take place! It knows who the culprit is! So now, if you'll follow along, I'll tell you what Purrloin most likely witnessed! First, Purrloin entered the room without using the door. Soon, when the blackout caused the room to be shrouded in darkness, somebody else entered the room in the same way." Cilan said.

"That's exactly what happened! I'm innocent, I swear!" Mr. Shaw said.

"All right, but somebody still had to have stolen the Eye of Liepard." Cilan turned to Teak. "Any idea who, Teak?"

"How would _I_ know?!" Teak said.

"Simple. I'd have to deduce that the culprit utilized a Pokémon that can use a Water-type or Ice-type move."

"I do have a Vanillite, but what does _that_ have to do with anything? I was battling in the final round when all this happened!"

"If I recall correctly, you used Vanillite throughout the entire tournament." I said. "That is, up until the final match. You used Galvantula during that battle! You purposefully directed the combined Thunderbolts produced by it and Pikachu to the electrical system, which caused the blackout."

Teak glared at me. I crossed my arms and smirked back.

"But why would he do something like that?" Ash said.

"By entering the Marine Cup Tournament, you gave yourself an alibi. Meanwhile, your Vanillite snuck into Mrs. Ripple's room and stole the Eye of Liepard!" Cilan said.

"It's over, Teak. We know you did it." I said.

" _Yeah! That's the truth!_ " Purrloin hissed.

Teak chuckled, which bubbled into a boisterous laugh. "Your skills at being a detective are impressive, but now that you know, I'm not holding back! Vanillite, use Blizzard!"

As Teak chucked his PokéBall into the air. Vanillite came out of its PokéBall with the Eye of Liepard in its mouth. It handed it to Teak and prepared to cast Blizzard. My hand twitched and I brought it up, ready to summon Protect, but I stopped myself and forced it back to my side, clenching it with frustration.

"Growlithe, use Flamethrower!"

A man with black-green hair wearing a trench coat leaped into the scene with a Growlithe. A column of fire shot out from Growlithe's mouth and cancelled out the Blizzard.

"All right, Fire Fang!"

Growlithe's mouth ignited and it sunk its teeth into Vanillite. It whipped its head and threw Vanillite into Teak. They both crashed into the wall. The Eye of Liepard slipped from Teak's hand and fell to the ground. Purrloin scurried over, grabbed the Eye of Liepard, and jumped to Teak's face. With a few swipes of its claw, Teak's facial hair, hat, and glasses came off.

"This man is a wanted gem thief, as well as a master in the art of disguise." the man said, showing us a wanted poster. "We received intel that he would board this cruise ship. Now he's mine, thanks to you."

"All right, who are you?!" the ship captain demanded.

The man took off his dark sunglasses, revealing a pair of light blue eyes. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to be rude. I'm Special Agent Tadesco." the man said, showing us his badge and ID.

"Wow, what a relief!" Cilan sighed, sinking to his knees. "These mysteries can really take it out of a Connoisseur!"

Purrloin handed the Eye of Liepard back to Mrs. Ripple.

* * *

"Wow, these gems are beautiful." I said, hovering over the glass boxes that held Mrs. Ripple's gems from her collection. "I'm glad they're being shared with the public."

"Yeah, they're really pretty!" Iris said.

"You know, you did really well with solving the mystery, Rylee." Cilan said. "You're quite the detective!"

"Really? Would you say..." Zorua jumped onto Cilan's shoulder, startling him. She grabbed his detective hat and magnifying glass and jumped off. As she fell to the ground, I took the items from her mouth. I slid the detective hat onto my head and held the magnifying glass over my eye, making it three times as large. "I've got an _eye_ for these kinds of things?"

Cilan laughed. "Not quite how I would put it, but sure... Now, would you mind giving me my stuff back?"

"I don't know. I think it looks better on me, don't you think?"

With only a small smile as his response, Cilan snatched his magnifying glass from my hand and his hat off my head, placing it on his. I laughed as he turned away, not noticing the blush that filled his cheeks. We approached Mrs. Ripple and Mr. Shaw at the end of the room.

"I'm glad that everything got sorted out." Ash said.

"Ah, it's you kids!" Mr. Shaw cried, throwing his arms around Cilan. "Thank you for proving my innocence to the world!"

"I think you should thank Purrloin instead." Cilan said, prying himself out of Mr. Shaw's embrace.

"Where is Purrloin, anyway?" Ash said.

"It was just here..." Mrs. Ripple said.

We looked around the ship and found Purrloin wandering down the outside hallways.

"Purrloin, there you are. We've been looking all over for you!" Mrs. Ripple said. Purrloin jumped into her arms.

"Purrloin really loves Mrs. Ripple a lot." Ash said.

"That's why Purrloin was so eager to help." Cilan said.

"Hey, maybe all of this helped you get over your fear of Purrloin."

"Mm... I kind of doubt that."

"Why are you so terrified of Purrloin in the first place?" Iris said.

Cilan sighed in defeat. "All right... I'll tell you."

* * *

We all stared at Cilan with wide eyes.

"No way!" Iris cried. I covered my mouth with my hand to try and hide my dangling jaw.

"That's rough..." Ash said.

Cilan nodded. A smile curled behind my hand, and soon, I doubled over in a flurry of giggles.

"Don't laugh!" Cilan said, his face reddening from embarrassment.

"I can't help it! It's just too funny! I can't believe a Purrloin actually-" I said.

"Don't repeat it!" Cilan shot his hand out and clamped it over my mouth, but my shoulders continued to shake with laughter. "It's bad enough that I had to retell that awful story!"

"You have to admit, it is kind of funny!" Iris said.

She and Ash started to laugh. Soon, our Pokémon joined, and we all laughed together. Cilan's cheeks were bright pink, and his eyes shifted between all of us. I forced my hand under his that was still clamped over my mouth and pulled it away. A shiver ran down my spine when his hand closed around mine. An image flashed in my mind for a split second, and it made my hair stand on ends. I saw the mysterious Gardevoir, her eyes closed and head bowed, from a strange dream I had at the beginning of my journey. _Why did she appear again?_ I thought before I immediately remembered Cilan was in my dream as well. Did the Gardevoir have something to do with him? With me? I gulped nervously and pulled my hand away.


	4. The King's Court

The next hoard of passengers brought with them a swarm of Dewott and Oshawott. Everywhere I looked I saw at least one or two of them. My friends and I sat in the dining area for lunch. I saw an Oshawott pass by me in my peripheral vision.

"You see these Oshawott and Dewott too, right?" I said.

"Yeah. I wonder why there's so many." Iris said.

"Maybe it has something to do with our next stop." Cilan said.

"So, is everybody having a nice trip?" Porter said.

"Yup. We're wondering where this ship is stopping next." Ash said.

"That would be Scalchop Island. It was mysteriously formed by the accumulation of seashells, or so they say."

"So that's why there's all these Oshawott and Dewott running around?" I said.

"Yes. Lots of Oshawott and Dewott and their trainers meet there every year for a competition: the Scalchop King Competition. They're entering the competition, and it just so happens to be beginning today."

Oshawott came out from its PokéBall and twirled on the table excitedly.

"Oshawott, do you want to enter the competition?" Ash said.

" _Heck yes!_ " Oshawott said.

"All right! We're gonna do it!"

* * *

The cruise ship docked in Scalchop Island. We entered the marketplace, which was alive with trainers and tourists. Many booths were open, selling all kinds of Scalchop-shaped foods and souvenirs. We walked past the booths and to the stage, where Freddy "The Scoop"'s voice boomed.

"Hello, folks! It's the annual Scalchop King Competition! Welcome, one and all! Now, feast your eyes on the prize the winner of our competition will be receiving!" he said. A woman dressed in all white stepped onto the stage holding a gold scalchop over her head. "Hand-crafted on Scalchop Island, the golden scalchop!"

"Whoa." I said. "I feel like I have to pay just to look at that."

"Is that solid gold?" Iris said.

"Such a delicious shine." Cilan said.

"Now I _really_ want to win!" Ash said.

"Okay, folks, please give our reigning Scalchop Queen a warm welcome! The one and only Osharina!" Freddy said.

An Oshawott stepped onto the stage, dressed in a scalchop tiara and a red cape. Hearts decorated Oshawott's eyes, and he giggled.

"After the event, our Scalchop King will sit with honor at Osharina's side!" Freddy said.

" _I WANT IT! I WANT IT SO BAD!_ " Oshawott cried, bouncing and tugging on Ash's clothing. He jumped off Ash's shoulder and ran to the front of the stage.

"Wait, Oshawott!" Ash cried.

Oshawott stood before Osharina with a giant bouquet of roses that he somehow picked on the way to the front. Osharina scoffed and turned away. Oshawott tried to chase after her, but a Dewott wearing an orange handkerchief as a scarf knocked him on the head with one of his scalchops.

" _Hands off her!_ " the Dewott said.

"Oshawott, are you okay?" Ash said, kneeling next to him. He turned and glared at Dewott's trainer, a young boy with blonde-brown hair and blue eyes hidden behind wire glasses. He wore a matching orange handkerchief. "Oshawott didn't deserve that!"

"You're lucky it wasn't worse." the boy said. "That's what happens when anyone gets too close to the queen. No one approaches Osharina!"

"So, are you Osharina's trainer?" Iris said.

"Wrong. Osharina is Caesar's future queen." The boy gestured to his Dewott. "Caesar was raised to be king. Take a good look! It's been groomed for the role since he was very young. We're talking competitor number one! When it comes to winners, Caesar is already the king!"

"Such a modest young boy." I said.

"Great. _Another_ pain in the neck." Iris said. "And I thought two was too much."

"I _hope_ those two are Caesar and this kid." Cilan said, crossing his arms.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Look, my Oshawott's gonna win this!" Ash said.

Oshawott and Caesar glared at each other.

"Really? You're dreaming." the boy said.

"Dreaming? I'm wide awake!" Ash said.

"We'll settle this at the competition. Oh, and my name's Cadbury. "

Cadbury and Caesar walked away. A man on the stage bang a drumstick against a scalchop-shaped gong, jolting us all back to attention.

"What a fantastic crowd! Perfect for cheering the Scalchop King Competition on! Now, it's time to introduce our judges!" Freddy "The Scoop" said, introducing Don George and Nurse Joy, with Osharina watching over at a small throne.

The first round of the competition was a scalchop inspection, where a contestant showed off its scalchop to the judges and they gave a score on it. The first Oshawott stepped onto the stage held up its scalchop. The crowd went wild.

"A most impressive scalchop, indeed!" Don George said.

"Such beautiful color!" Nurse Joy said.

The next contestant, a Dewott, walked onto the stage and flashed its scalchops. The crowd cheered wildly.

"Impressive scalchops to be sure!" Don George said.

"Yes, beautiful!" Nurse Joy said.

"They all look the same!" I huffed in frustration.

"I couldn't tell one from another even if I tried." Iris said, crossing her arms and sweatdropping.

"Perhaps a Scalchop Connoisseur could..." Cilan said.

Ash's Oshawott took the stage and held up its scalchop. The crowd gasped and cheered.

"It's like sterling silver!" Don George said.

"Yes, and quite understated!" Nurse Joy said.

Oshawott beamed with pride.

"They sound positive, don't they?" Iris said.

"I don't think I could become a Scalchop Connoisseur if I wanted to." Cilan said.

"I _hope_ you wouldn't want to." I said, crossing my arms.

Caesar the Dewott walked onto the stage and held its scalchops high into the air. The crowd roared with applause.

"Scalchops of the highest order." Don George said.

"Colors, shape, and curves! They're simply incredible!"

"What kind of competition is this?!" I cried.

"Maybe the next round will be a little better." Cilan said.

The final Dewott stepped onto the stage, which didn't look anything like one.

"Is it just me, or is that the weirdest Dewott you've ever seen?" Iris said.

"It certainly is not like the others." Cilan said.

"Why is it carrying a shopping bag?" I said, raising my eyebrow.

The Dewott, named Meowott, reached into the bag and pulled out two giant scalchops. The crowd mumbled to each other before exploding in cheers.

"Incredible! I've never seen scalchops before with such epic proportions." Don George said, rising out of his chair.

"Wonderful!" Nurse Joy said.

The next round began, where the contestants threw their scalchops at targets. Ash's Oshawott went first. He flung his scalchop, which swerved and stuck into the edge of the target.

"Well, at least he didn't miss." I said.

Caesar went next. He threw his scalchops, both of them hitting the middle.

"Is it really that fair that the Dewott get to use two scalchops while Oshawott can only use one?" Iris said.

"I've been lost long before this competition began." I said. "Just smile and look pretty."

The strange-looking Meowott stepped onto the stage. He hurled his massive scalchops, which veered off into a different direction. Suddenly, it circled back around and crashed into the center of the target.

"Now, that was just strange." Cilan said.

"What kind of Dewott _is_ that?!" I said. The finalists took the stage, one of them Ash and another Cadbury. I looked over to the strange Dewott and his trainers: a woman with long, magenta hair separated in two pigtails, and a man with short, purple hair. Both wore dark sunglasses. I facepalmed. "Oh... Now it makes sense."

At the next round, the contestants broke as many tiles as they could, and the top three highest scores would move on to the next round. Caesar broke eleven. Meowott stepped onto the stage. He jumped into the air, but his scalchop slipped out of his hands. He caught it and nose-dived into the tiles, breaking all twenty. He laid on the ground, unconscious. Finally, Oshawott stepped onto the stage.

"I'm getting really worried. What if Oshawott doesn't make it to the next round?" Iris said.

"Oshawott only needs to break ten tiles, but that doesn't mean it'll be easy." Cilan said.

Oshawott walked up to the pile of tiles with a determined glint in his eye. He jumped up and struck his scalchop down, breaking eleven. The next round, the contestants would perform with their scalchops. Caesar went first. He used Aqua Jet and swirled around the air, creating a rainbow. Oshawott used Aqua Jet as well and created a rainbow. As he swirled in the air, he looked down at Osharina, the hearts returning in his eyes.

"Stop acting like a love-sick puppy and focus, Oshawott!" Iris cried. "Geez, the fickle brain it has. I don't recall a time Oshawott _didn't_ fall in love with another female Pokémon."

"I could recall all the times he _did_ , like Vanilluxe, Buneary, Meloetta... must I continue?" I said.

Oshawott lost its balance and faceplanted into Ash's head.

"Hm... that recipe landed flat on its face." Cilan said.

"Pun intended." I mumbled.

Meowott ran onto the stage. Its trainers carried a large trampoline into the center, which Meowott climbed onto. Trying to mimic a Swords Dance, Meowott jumped into the air and frantically flailed its arms in the air, to which the crowd ate up such an unusual performance. As he landed, I covered my mouth to stifled my giggle-gasp. The blue paint had worn off and its accessories plopped to the ground, revealing Meowth.

"Oh, no, I've been de-Dewotted!" Meowth cried.

"Looks like we'll have to win by force." the male trainer said.

"Oh, boy." I said.

"Don't tell me..." Iris sweatdropped.

The trainers threw off their disguises, revealing themselves as Jessie and James. They sprinted over to the golden scalchop. Pikachu attacked with Thunderbolt, but Meowth held up its giant scalchops and blocked the attack. Meowth looked at the scalchops and his eyes widened as they crackled with electricity. They exploded, covering the area with smoke. Team Rocket launched off into the sky.

"Well, then..." Cilan said.

"That just happened." Iris said, raising an eyebrow.

The final round came, and Cadbury and Ash were the finalists. The stage opened, revealing a small, water-filled battlefield. Whoever won the battle between Caesar and Oshawott would win the competition.

"Our first strike! Use Aqua Jet!"

"Let's counter that with the same move! Aqua Jet, let's go!"

Caesar and Oshawott met with Aqua Jet, but Oshawott flew back and landed on one of the floating platforms.

Cadbury chuckled. "Of course, Oshawott's the pre-evolved form of Dewott. The difference in power is obvious."

"Power isn't decided just by evolving! We'll prove it!" Ash said.

"Use Hydro Pump!"

"Hydro Pump, too!"

The two attacks met once again, and Caesar's was the more powerful. It carried Oshawott up, and it smacked into the wall of the stage. It fell and landed onto a platform.

"Let's finish this up! Use Surf!" Dewott summoned a massive wave and charged towards Oshawott.

"Hang in there, Oshawott! Intercept with Aqua Jet!" Oshawott charged into the Surf and cancelled it out. "Awesome, Oshawott!"

"I know... Since we're determining the Scalchop King with this battle, then I think we should battle using just scalchops." Cadbury said.

" _Just_ scalchops?" Ash said.

"You could always forfeit if you're frightened."

" _No way!_ " Oshawott cried, smacking its scalchop.

"It's a deal!" Ash said.

"Caesar, Razor Shell!"

"Oshawott, Razor Shell!"

They jumped in the air and slashed at each other, blocking each other's attack.

"Use it again!"

"Yeah, you too!"

Their Razor Shells met again, but Caesar knocked Oshawott down.

"Wrap this up! Attack with a double Razor Shell!" Caesar charged. Oshawott brought up its scalchop to block, but the attack was too powerful and he flew back. "Let's end this charade! Use an Aqua Jet and Razor Shell combination!"

Caesar lifted off into the air, covered in Aqua Jet with is Razor Shell blades poking out to the sides.

"Are you ready, Oshawott? You use the same combination as well!" Oshawott jumped into the air in Aqua Jet with its Razor Shell blade sticking out at the top. It spun rapidly like a top. "Full power!"

The two crashed, creating a layer of misty fog. Both Pokémon landed on the ground, exhausted. Both trainers cried to their Pokémon to stand up. Caesar climbed to his feet, but a few moments later, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Caesar is unable to battle! Oshawott is the winner! Which means, Oshawott is the Scalchop King!" Freddy cried.

"An impressive battle, no doubt." Don George said.

"Yes, I'm moved!" Nurse Joy said.

The gong rang once again. Don George handed the golden scalchop to Oshawott, and he raised it high over his head.

"Oshawott will reign as the Scalchop King until the next competition and sit at Queen Osharina's side! The two will become the symbol of Scalchop Island!" Freddy said.

"What? Symbol?" Ash said.

"Right! After all, they're king and queen!"

"But when does the next competition happen?"

"Next year!"

Ash cried out in shock.

"Are you saying that Ash and Oshawott are gonna have to say goodbye to each other?!" Iris said.

Ash knelt down to Oshawott's level. "What are you gonna do, Oshawott? You see, I still want to travel a lot more with you..."

" _I... I don't know..._ " Oshawott said.

"And now, let's bring our queen onto the stage!" Freddy said.

Osharina ascended to the stage and Oshawott chattered excitedly, hearts bursting from its ears.

"I guess he's made his decision..." I said. "What a bummer..."

"Osharina! Where are you going?!" Freddy cried.

Osharina sprinted down the stage and leaped into Caesar's arms.

"What in the-?!" Iris said, she, Cilan, and I sweatdropping.

"Well, well, what do you know? I guess Caesar and Osharina are meant to be together after all." Cadbury said.

Oshawott collapsed to the ground. Its scalchop split in half and crumpled to the ground.

Freddy gasped. "Oshawott's scalchop is broken in two! And according to the rules, that disqualifies Oshawott as king! That means Caesar is the winner!"

"Okay... not what I expected." I said.

* * *

As the sun began to set, my friends and I boarded the cruise ship. Oshawott sat against the wall, his head bowed and his scalchop held together with tape.

"Cheer up, Oshawott." Ash said. "Now we can keep traveling together!"

"That's right! Give that broken heart time to heal and you'll be as good as new!" Iris said.

"I'm sure your scalchop will heal soon, too." Cilan said.

" _I don't know if it ever will..._ " Oshawott groaned. A Cinccino passed by us. The hearts returned to Oshawott's eyes as he took off after Cinccino. " _Wow-WEE!_ "

"Wow, he bounced back fast." I chuckled.

"Guess a broken heart heals quicker than I thought." Ash said.

We laughed as we watched Oshawott chase the Cinccino around the hallway with a bouquet of roses.


	5. Mystifying Illusions

The next morning, we stood outside on the cruise ship bow. A dense fog had appeared, making it difficult to see in front of us.

"It's really hard to see in this fog..." Iris said.

" _Hey... what's that?!_ " Pikachu said, pointing forward.

We looked forward and saw a giant shadow with glowing eyes standing in front of the ship.

"Is that a Pokémon?" Ash said. "What is that?!"

"It's too big to be a Pokémon!" Cilan said.

" _That looks like... a Zoroark._ " Zorua said. " _That's the biggest one I've ever seen!_ "

The ship drew closer to it, and we cried out.

"We're gonna slam into it!" Iris cried.

"I don't like the scent of this!" Cilan said.

"Everyone duck!" Ash said.

We dove to the ground and prepared for the crash, but nothing happened. We stood back up and looked around, but the Zoroark shadow had disappeared.

"What _was_ that?" Iris said.

"Ahoy!" Porter said. "We'll soon be arriving at our next stop, Grand Spectrala Island."

"Porter, what was that giant Pokémon we just saw?!" Ash said.

"What Pokémon?"

"You didn't see that _huge_ shadow coming straight toward us?!" Cilan said.

"No, but I think the crew up at the bridge would've noticed something that large."

We turned and saw Grand Spectrala Island's silhouette through the fog drawing closer to us.

"Were we just seeing things?" I said.

"Maybe the Pokémon lives in that area." Iris said.

"Perhaps the islanders know something and can tell us about it." Cilan said.

"Let's get there and ask around." Ash said.

* * *

We docked off the ship, having until tomorrow morning to figure out the mysterious of the giant Pokémon before the next ship came. We asked around about the giant Pokémon, but no one knew anything about it. Some looked at us like we were delusional, and some just kept walking without so much as a glance towards us, probably thinking we were a group of kids wanting to cause trouble and mischief. We came across a small sushi shop and stood awkwardly at the entrance.

"Hello? Is anyone in there?" Ash called.

A giant, round shadow emerged from behind the counter and trudged towards us. Ash screamed, thinking it was a Snorlax, but it was actually just a very large man wearing a white headband. We asked him about the giant Pokémon. At first he claimed he didn't know of any, but after Ash's persistence, he recalled someone else claiming the sight of a giant Pokémon in the island next to this one. We ran down the road, but the bridge connecting the islands had been engulfed by the tide.

"So, how are we supposed to get across to the other island?" Ash said, kicking the ground in frustration.

"Rylee, can't you use your powers to help us? You know, make a platform out of Protect or something?" Iris said.

I held my arms and stepped back silently. Suddenly, the tide went away, revealing a path to the other island. We ran across and into the dense forest. As we walked, we met a thick fog.

"If you ask me, this forest looks really creepy." Iris said.

"I adore mysterious places!" Cilan said.

"You really want to say that as we walk in a giant forest surrounded by a thick fog that prevents us from seeing two feet in front of us?" I said. "That giant Pokémon could be waiting out there for a comment like that."

Pikachu's ears twitched. " _Do you hear that?_ " he said.

"Is something wrong, Pikachu?" Ash said.

Axew and Pikachu jumped to the ground. " _Show yourself!_ " Pikachu called.

The trees in front of us were knocked to the ground, each crash sending chills up my spine. A giant Heatmor poked out from the trees, exhaling a stream of its fire tongue.

"That thing is _huge_!" Iris cried.

The Heatmor unleashed Flamethrower, which engulfed the trees around us. The forest Pokémon dashed through, desperately seeking safety. A Foongus rammed into Axew and unleashed Sleeping Powder on it. Axew fell to the ground, enveloped in sleep.

"Oh no, Axew!" Iris cried. She picked up Axew and shook it, only receiving mumbles.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" I said.

We ran through the forest, but the giant Heatmor chased after us. Each step it took ripped a tree from its roots and knocked it to the ground. We ran to a cliff edge. The Heatmor pursued.

"Why is it chasing us?" Iris said. "Did we make it angry or something?"

"Whatever the reason, there seems to be lots of outrage!" Cilan said.

"Hold on! Heatmor isn't able to use Outrage!"

"That's not what he meant!" I cried.

"Knock it off!" Ash said. "Why don't we stop being technical and focus on the _giant Pokémon_ heading right towards us?! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu's attack hit Heatmor, but it didn't do a thing. Pikachu used Electro Ball with the same results. Heatmor launched Flamethrower. Pikachu jumped out of the way, but the power of its jump was too much, and he sailed over the the cliff edge. Ash lunged for him and barely caught him by the tail. He pulled him back to the cliff edge. Heatmor prepared to attack again.

A strange figure dressed in a black trench coat emerged from the forest and stood in front of us. Them and the giant Heatmor were locked in an intense staring contest.

" _It's... you!_ " the Heatmor said. The thick fog returned, quenching the massive forest fire and disappearing into the woods.

"Hey... I thought the forest was on fire." Ash said.

"And whoever helped us is gone, too." Iris said. "This is getting really weird!"

"It's like everything we saw was an illusion..." Cilan said. "I'd say we got a mystery."

"But what happened to Axew was real!"

"Let's get back to the main island and find a Pokémon Center." I said.

* * *

As we walked through the forest, the fog dissipated, but we were still hopelessly lost. Cilan checked where we were on a tourist map.

"So how far are we from the main island?" Ash said.

Cilan sweatdropped. "Good question. I'm afraid we've missed a big step in this recipe, and now we're totally lost in this forest!"

"Great..." I mumbled.

"Wait, I see something over there!" Iris said.

We followed Iris towards a run-down Pokémon Center. It was covered in moss and fungus. We entered the Pokémon Center and we were greeted by a herd of forest Pokémon. Upon seeing us, they freaked out and rushed past us back into the forest.

"Hello?! We're looking for Nurse Joy!" Iris called.

An Audino came out from the back room. " _Hello! How can I help you?_ " it said.

"Audino, can you get Nurse Joy for us?"

Audino went into the back room, and a second later, Nurse Joy came out.

"So, how can I help you?" Nurse Joy said.

"Would you mind having a look at Axew?" Iris said, placing Axew on the counter. "It got hit with Foongus's Sleeping Powder and it's been asleep ever since."

Nurse Joy examined Axew for a moment. "All right, I'll go prepare something."

Nurse Joy entered the back room, and a second later, Audino came out with a wooden pestle and mortar. We stared at it uncomfortably.

"Um... where's Nurse Joy?" Ash said.

Audino jumped and hurried back to the back room.

"I'll prepare the medicine right away!" Nurse Joy called before heading back to the back room. Audino came out with an armful of berries.

"What's wrong with this picture?" Iris said, sweatdropping.

"Maybe those berries are to make medicine." Cilan said.

"I think we should ask Nurse Joy about it." Ash said. He turned to Audino. "Can we speak to Nurse Joy, please?"

Audino disappeared, and Nurse Joy entered.

"Hi, hi!" she called, holding the same cluster of berries in her arms.

"You're gonna make these berries into medicine, right?" Iris said.

"Audino!" Nurse Joy cried, then froze and clamped her mouth shut.

"What in the...?" I said.

"Where's Audino?" Ash said.

Nurse Joy disappeared, Audino reappeared.

"Where's Nurse Joy?"

Audino disappeared, Nurse Joy reappeared.

"Now where's Audino?!"

Ash sent Nurse Joy and Audino into a wild chase back and forth between one of them disappearing and the other reappearing from the back room.

"Audino's just a little bit busy at the moment, so I'll help you out." Nurse Joy said as she wearily hoisted herself up over the counter.

"Axew needs some medicine!" Iris said.

"Of course." Nurse Joy put the berries in the mortar and mashed up the ingredients.

"That seems like a bit of an old-fashioned method to make medicine, doesn't it?" I said. Nurse Joy handed Iris the berry mixture and we gathered around the only piece of furniture in the center: a rugged, mossy couch. "Doesn't this entire place seem a little... unusual?"

"Nurse Joy and Audino are quite strange as well." Cilan said.

"Yeah..." Ash said.

Axew yawned and woke up from the Sleeping Powder. The doors of the Pokémon Center burst open, and the trench coat figure from before entered the room, their eyes set on Nurse Joy.

"Hey, you're that person who saved us from the Heatmor." I said.

"Everyone stay right where you are." the person said, revealing a woman's voice. They removed the trench coat and hat. She had blue eyes and pink hair styled with two hoop ringlets. We gasped.

"Nurse Joy?!" Ash said.

"Though that one seems to be a bit more on the mature side." Cilan said.

"Yes, I am Nurse Joy. I'm also a Pokémon Center investigator, see?" Nurse Joy said, showing us her badge. "Headquarters received word there's an illegally operated Pokémon Center in the area, so I came here to investigate."

" _Illegal_?!" Iris cried.

"Yes. This Pokémon Center was shut down over ten years ago because of the dwindling number of trainers coming here for help."

"So... what about _that_ Nurse Joy?" Cilan said as we turned our heads to the younger Nurse Joy standing behind the counter.

"Her? There's no Nurse Joy at this Pokémon Center. She's an impostor!" the older Nurse Joy said. The younger nurse lifted her head, her blue eyes shaking with guilt. "Who are you? You're dressed in our uniform, but you're not one of us! Tell me now!"

The younger Joy remained silent as the two nurses stared at each other. The younger Joy began to glow gold. Once the light had subsided, we opened our eyes and saw the Pokémon Center back when it was running.

"Audino... but how?" the older Joy said.

We heard the yelps of a Pokémon, and turned to see a younger Nurse Joy running into the Pokémon Center with a Zorua in her arms.

" _A Zorua?_ " Zorua said.

"We're going to treat you right away." Nurse Joy said as she laid the flailing Zorua on the counter.

"That's me when I was younger!" the older Nurse Joy said. "We're seeing something that took place over ten years ago! That's when I used to work here at the Pokémon Center. Zorua was caught in a hunter's trap, so I treated and release it."

The vision changed, and we saw many people lined up at the Pokémon Center, waiting for their Pokémon to receive treatment.

"After that, Zorua would come back and visit a lot, bringing me berries from the forest, too. It even helped with my chores. We had a lot of fun in those days." Nurse Joy said. Her eyes widened. "Wait a minute... could it be?!"

The vision faded, and the younger Nurse Joy stopped glowing.

"Okay, I give up! What's going on?" Ash said.

"Of course..." I said. "Zorua is able to change its appearance and imitate any person or Pokémon."

"So... _that_ Nurse Joy is Zorua?!" Iris said.

"Nurse Joy, why? Why did you suddenly leave?!" the younger Nurse Joy said as tears fell down her face.

"Well, when trainers stopped coming to the Pokémon Center, headquarters gave me explicit orders to shut the place down. I wanted so badly to tell you, but at the time, you suddenly stopped coming to the Pokémon Center." the older Nurse Joy said.

The younger Joy glowed gold again, and we found ourselves back in the forest. I saw something glowing blue in my peripheral vision, and we turned to see Zorua evolving into Zoroark.

" _Oh, my..._ " Zorua said, her eyes shaking with awe.

"Wait a minute. Does that mean you were staying in the forest at the time so you could evolve?" the older Nurse Joy said. The younger Nurse Joy nodded.

We watched as Zoroark came across a couple of Pokémon hunters who had captured a Ducklett. Outraged, Zoroark turned into the giant Heatmor and scared them off.

"So, all those strange things that happened to us in the forest- the giant Heatmor, the fire, and the fog- those were Zoroark's illusions." I said.

"Not long after those hunters were caught, Officer Jenny told me how they saw a giant Pokémon on the island." the older Nurse Joy said. "So that's what it was. You became the giant Heatmor to chase away those hunters, isn't that right? The giant Zoroark I saw on the cruise ship was an illusion you created after you saw me."

The younger Nurse Joy nodded and glowed gold. The vision ended, and we were taken back to the Pokémon Center.

"But why did you continue to keep the Pokémon Center open?" the older Nurse Joy said. "This kind of prank is no laughing matter!"

Tears filled the younger Nurse Joy's eyes, and she shook her head.

"I don't think this was a joke." I said. "When we first came in here, we saw a group of wild Pokémon in here. I think they were seeking medical assistance from Zoroark. It kept the Pokémon Center open so it could provide aid to those in need."

The younger Nurse Joy nodded.

"So does that mean you've been looking after the Pokémon Center by yourself after all these years?" The older Nurse Joy said. The younger Joy nodded again.

"Nurse Joy, isn't there any way you could reopen this Pokémon Center?" Iris said.

"Think of all the wild Pokémon living on this island that need a real Pokémon Center like this one." Cilan said.

The younger Nurse Joy glowed magenta and transformed back into its true form, Zoroark. Nurse Joy approached Zoroark.

"Zoroark... it would be nice if you would help me run the Pokémon Center again." she said.

Zoroark gasped. " _Really?_ "

"I'd feel really lonely doing it all by myself. I could really use your help. You know, we should turn this into a Pokémon Center for wild Pokémon, because that's what it really is. So how does that sound, you and I?"

Tears streamed down both their cheeks as they embraced.

"Now there's a perfect pairing!" Cilan said.

"Yeah, this is awesome." Ash said.

"Hey, I just thought of something! Why don't we help clean this place up like it used to be!" Iris said.

"That sounds like a lot of work..." I said. Iris shot me a glare, and I giggled. "I'm just kidding! Let's do it!"

* * *

By sunset, the Pokémon Center looked as spotless as the day it was first opened.

"Hey, Nurse Joy, take care of the Pokémon, okay?" Ash said, accidentally speaking to Zoroark disguised as her. It reverted back to its true form.

"Of course." Nurse Joy said, stepping out from behind Zoroark. "I promise! Won't we, Zoroark?"

" _Yes!_ " Zoroark said.

The next morning, we waved goodbye to Nurse Joy and Zoroark as our cruise ship sailed into the ocean.

" _I can't wait until I evolve..._ " Zorua said.

I smiled and held her tightly in my arms. "It'll be a great moment, but for now, stay like this for as long as you can, okay?"

Zorua snuggled close to my chest. " _Okay._ "


	6. Mighty Oak

The next island was slowly approaching. Ash leaned over the railing, bouncing on his toes in excitement.

"You look excited for something." I said.

"Yeah! There's someone waiting for us on this next island!" Ash said.

"Really? Who?"

"Only the greatest Pokémon researcher of all time!" Cilan said.

I raised my eyebrow. "I'm lost. Give me a hint?"

"Well, his name is the same as a tree." Iris said.

"They _ALL_ are!" I cried, and Iris giggled. I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, I'll tell you!" Ash said. "Professor Oak is waiting for us on Torom Island!"

As the island grew closer, we saw a group of people waving to the boat.

"Professor Oak!" Ash called. A middle-age man wearing a red t-shirt, khaki pants, and a white lab coat waved to us. He had light brown hair and black eyes. The ship docked and we headed down the boarding ramp to greet him. "It's so good to see you!"

"Nice to see you, too, Ash." Professor Oak said. He petted Pikachu's head. "You too, Pikachu."

"I don't think you've met my friends in person before." Ash said, turning to us.

"Why, no, I haven't." Professor Oak said, walking up to us. "It's nice to meet you all."

"It's quite an honor to meet you, sir!" Cilan said. "I'm Cilan, a Pokémon Connoisseur!"

"So I've heard. I look forward to hearing some of your expert evaluations!" Oak said.

Iris shoved Cilan out of the way. "Hi, Professor Oak! I'm Iris!"

Oak chuckled. "You're quite spirited, aren't you? By the way, I don't see Axew!" On cue, Axew emerged from Iris's hair. "There you are! A choice perch, indeed!"

"I'm Rylee. I've heard you're a pretty great Pokémon researcher." I said.

"And I've heard that for a young lady, you pack quite a punch!" Oak said, firmly shaking my hand with both of his. "It's an honor to be in the presence of a Pokémon Guardian!"

My eyes widened, and when I looked at Ash, it quickly turned to a glare. "You told him?!"

"Uh... sort of..." Ash said.

"Relax, it's all right. During all my years as a Pokémon researcher, I've stumbled upon the history of Pokémon Guardians. I've even had the opportunity to meet some of them! Ash has told me many stories about your courage and sacrifice. None of the Guardians I've met come close to the power you hold in your heart."

I blushed slightly. "Wow. Thank you."

"So, Professor Oak, why are you in Torom Island in the first place?" Ash said.

"I'll gladly tell you. Let's head to the Pokémon Center and I'll give you the details." Oak said.

* * *

"A Rotom?" Ash said.

"That's right, Ash. I came here to catch a Rotom." Oak said once we were inside the Pokémon Center. "For some reason, there are a large number of Rotom on Torom Island. And so, with all my ongoing research, I'm trying to be as efficient as possible and catch Rotom here."

"Is Rotom a kind of Pokémon?" Iris said.

Ash pulled out his Pokédex and showed us the information on Rotom. Its body was small orange, looking like a doorknob with a long spike on its head, with arms made out of lightning bolts.

 _Rotom, the Plasma Pokémon. With a body made of plasma, Rotom is able to permeate various kinds of electrical devices, causing all sorts of problems._

"Seems like a pretty mischievous Pokémon." I said, and one by one we all stood up.

"Sounds like a fascinating recipe to me!" Cilan said.

"Have you ever seen a Rotom before, Ash?" Iris said.

"Yeah, back when I was in the Sinnoh region." Ash said. We turned to Oak. "But why do you want to catch one?"

"Excellent question! I'm in the research stage of a paper I'm planning to right, which deals with Rotom's forme changes." Oak said.

"A sign of a true Pokémon expert!" Cilan said. "Forme changes is an excellent topic!"

"So, does that mean Rotom doesn't always appear looking the same?" Iris said.

"I gather you don't know much about Rotom, which gives me the opportunity for a live presentation of my TV show!"

"You have... a TV show?" I said, crossing my arms and staring at him in disbelief.

Oak led us to a TV in the Pokémon Center and turned the channel to his show.

"This is real..." I said, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Shh! I'm trying to watch!" Ash said.

"Welcome to another Professor Oak's "Who's that Pokémon?"! Today we'll be talking all about Rotom!" Oak on the TV said. A picture of Rotom popped up. "These unique Pokémon have been studied for a long time, owing to the special way their plasma bodies allow them to infiltrate many electric devices. To date, in addition to Rotom's normal forme, five other formes Rotom may change into have been documented."

The next images showed Rotom's other formes: the Heat Rotom, a microwave oven, the Wash Rotom, a washing machine, the Fan Rotom, an electric fan, the Frost Rotom, a refrigerator, and the Mow Rotom, a lawn mower.

"I can see why the Professor wants to study them." Cilan said.

"Now, let me tell you another story." Oak said. "A long time ago, a toy robot that had suddenly ceased to function mysteriously began to move like it was alive. Researchers at the time debated on whether or not to recognize it as a new Pokémon. Find it hard to believe, but true. Unfortunately, the robot disappeared without a trace and hasn't been seen since, but the consensus is it was most likely the work of a Rotom."

"Do you know where you'll be able to find a Rotom?" I said.

"Well, there's a very interesting place-" Oak said. Suddenly, the lights in the Pokémon Center went out.

"Cool! It looks like it's time for lunch!" a boy said.

"Wonder whose electric device it'll go in today!" another boy said.

"What are they talking about?" Iris said. The lights began to flicker on and off.

"Hmm... it looks like it's time to begin." Oak said. Nurse Joy and Audino approached us. "We're about to witness the world-famous Torom Island Rotom Lunch Time, correct, Nurse Joy?"

"Yes, that's right, Professor. You see, Rotom eat the electricity from the power plant. Apparently this island's electricity is delicious! They eat so much at the power plant that the electricity all over the island is always flickering on and off like now." Nurse Joy said. "When they're full, the Rotom come into the town and enter people's electrical devices. They just love to scare everyone they can! It's a bit strange to think Rotom would have a good time scaring people. A Rotom once entered into a microwave oven, while another once entered a washing machine."

Professor Oak took us to an area near the power plant filled with electrical devices.

"The people of this town finally came up with a solution to their mischief. They built an electric playground for the Rotom." Oak said.

"This is fun!" Ash said, pushing around a lawn mower.

"If we stay here, will we see some Rotom?" Iris said.

Pikachu's cheeks crackled with electricity. He stood up on his hind legs and pointed to the power lines. " _What's that over there?_ "

We looked and saw a large spark gliding along the power line.

"Oh! I think they've arrived!" Oak said. Two more sparks joined in.

Pikachu used Thunderbolt on the sparks, and the Rotom emerged from the power line. They circled in the air and giggled. They zoomed towards us.

"Wow! Look how energetic they are!" Oak said.

One Rotom swooped over to Pikachu, causing him to lose his balance and fall off the mountain of electrical devices he stood on.

"Please, Rotom, I'd really like you to help me out with my research!" Oak said.

A Rotom floated over to Pikachu and jabbed his cheeks with its bolt-shaped arms.

" _Hey!_ " Pikachu growled. The Rotom giggled. Pikachu summoned Thunderbolt, but the Rotom ate it up and cheered for more.

"Those Rotom have bigger appetites than Ash." I said.

"A most interesting phenomenon! Those Rotom appear to adore Pikachu's electricity!" Oak said. "Now's my chance!"

As the Rotom circled in the air, Oak threw a PokéBall. It hit one of them and sucked it inside. After a few moments of wiggling, the Rotom came out. It attacked Oak with Thunderbolt.

"Oh, no!" Ash cried.

After the attack finished, Oak let out a laugh. "I can handle a little spark!" he said, surprising the Rotom.

"Wow, Professor Oak sure is strong." Iris said.

"A tough man with a tender heart!" Cilan said.

"That's because I'm accustomed to dealing with all kinds of Pokémon when I'm working back in my lab. If I hadn't learned to protect myself from a Pokémon's move, I wouldn't be the same seasoned researcher I am now!" Oak said.

"Wish I could say the same for your hair..." I said, referring to the massive afro that sat on his head after his hair exploded from Rotom's attack.

"Pokémon researchers have the toughest jobs." Cilan said.

"I know he likes good seasoning, but that's a bit much..." Iris said.

Rotom attacked Oak several times with Thunderbolt. The first one missed and the second one hit, making his afro grow even larger.

"Rotom, I'm sorry to have surprised you like that, I simply want to become friends with you, that's all! So shock me to your heart's content!" Oak said, stretching his arms out to his sides.

Rotom gawked at Oak. The professor slowly approached Rotom.

"Wow, he got it to stop." Iris said.

"It's probably surprised. Meeting a professor is a unique experience." Cilan said.

"Seeing that big hair has me surprised. It's like he's competing with Iris." I said, earning a hard jab from Iris's elbow.

"Now, if you'd use all your Electric-type moves, please, I want to lure the Rotom in closer!" Oak said.

Cilan called out Stunfisk and he used Thundershock on the Rotom. They gobbled it up, and looks of disgust appeared on their faces.

"I don't think the Rotom like Stunfisk's electricity." I said, and Stunfisk mumbled to itself.

Iris called out Emolga, and she used Discharge, which the Rotom loved. They chased after her, eager to be fed more. Emolga used Attract on the Rotom, but it didn't work.

"How can that be?" Cilan said. "Could it be that the Rotom are female?"

"I'm afraid Rotom are neither male nor female." Oak said.

"A genderless Pokémon? I've never seen that before." I said.

" _Um... Rylee..._ " Zorua said, her face contorting into a snicker.

"What? What is it?"

I didn't get a reply because chaos started to ensue. One Rotom entered a washing machine, becoming Wash Rotom. Another turned into Heat Rotom, entering into a microwave oven, and the third turned into Mow Rotom, entering into a lawn mower. The Mow Rotom chased after Emolga, riding over Stunfisk in the process. It attacked her with Leaf Storm. She landed on the ground, and the Wash Rotom blasted her with Hydro Pump. She flew back into Iris, and both got drenched.

"I wish you Rotom would stop acting like brats!" Iris growled. She cringed as the Heat Rotom zoomed at her, nailing her with Flamethrower. "That's not very funny..."

"When Rotom change formes, they match the device it enters. That's yet another area I need to research." Oak said. The Mow Rotom laughed at him. "Come now, that's no reason to laugh!"

The Mow Rotom roared at him. Iris summoned Emolga back into its PokéBall to stop the Rotom's teasing. They looked around in confusion.

"Ash, help! Without the delicious electricity to eat, the Rotom will leave!" Oak said.

Pikachu used Thunderbolt on the Rotom. The Mow Rotom ate it up, but the Heat and Wash Rotoms paid no attention to it.

"What's up with them?" Ash said.

"They probably prefer Emolga's electricity." Oak said. The Rotom gathered and turned around. "Hm... something's not right."

A huge blast of electricity shot out at the Rotom. The Mow Rotom opened its mouth and gobbled up the electricity. More electricity came and fed the Heat and Wash Rotom.

"They sure do love to eat." I said.

"Just look at those appetites! They sure seem to like that electricity best." Cilan said.

"But where is it coming from?"

"Eat more, eat more, yum, yum, yum!" a group of voices called. "Rotom, Rotom, come, come come!"

We looked into the forest and saw Team Rocket standing next to a power generator that's hooked up to the power line.

"Not _you_ guys!" Ash said. "What do you want?!"

"What do we want?" Jessie said.

"What do _we_ want?" Meowth said.

"The answer's quite clear..." James said. Each Team Rocket member held a hair-dryer styled device that shot electricity into the mouths of the Rotom.

"We're gonna make those rockin' Rotom rascals part of our team!"

"And turn them into resplendent robot implants to create a veritable rocking Rotom riot! Voila!"

Team Rocket shot more electricity into the Rotom's mouths.

"I won't let you use the Rotom for that!" Oak said.

"Neither will I!" I said, reaching up to pluck a PokéBall from my necklace.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt to get their attention!" But Team Rocket met it with their own. Team Rocket continued to feed the Rotom.

"All right, Stunfisk!" Cilan said. "Oh, yeah... you can't help here."

" _Oh, come ON!_ " Stunfisk cried.

"I think our work here is about through." Jessie said.

"Full power!" Team Rocket shot the electricity into the air, creating a massive ball of power. The Mow Rotom leaped toward the electricity. It sucked Rotom inside, forcing it out of the lawn mower. It screamed for help. The electricity collected into a machine and trapped it inside. "Attractively boxed!"

"With our seal of approval!" Jessie said, slapping a piece of tape on the glass with the Team Rocket's seal on it.

The Heat and Wash Rotom scurried back to our side, trembling with fright.

"Let Rotom go!" Ash said.

"Sorry! No can dooo!" Jessie said.

"Like we're gonna listen to _you_!" Meowth said.

"Boo-hoo-hoo! With our hermetically-sealed box, it's stuck like glue!" James said.

"We even slapped on a magic seal to deal with perpetually pesky Ghost-types." Jessie said, referring to the seal.

"That's just a piece of tape!" I growled.

Team Rocket shot more electricity at the Rotom, and I gasped as I saw it being sucked out of the trapped Rotom. We ran out of the way to avoid the electricity. It hit the other two Rotom and forced them out of the devices. They scurried into a fan and refrigerator, becoming Fan Rotom and Frost Rotom.

"They've gotta be stopped!" Ash said.

"Right!" Iris said.

"With our Ground-types!" Cilan said.

As the electricity chased the Rotom, Stunfisk, Excadrill, and Krookodile lunged in the way and took the blow, but they received no damage.

"Clever strategy!" Oak said. "Now, Rotom, go help your friend!"

Frost Rotom cast Blizzard, which froze Team Rocket into one big popsicle.

"Pikachu, finish this with Iron Tail!" With a combination of Iron Tail and Fan Rotom's Air Slash, the machine was destroyed, and the trapped Rotom was freed.

"I'll tell ya, things don't look so hot from a block of ice." Meowth said.

The Rotom used a combined Thunderbolt that blasted Team Rocket into the sky. The once-trapped Rotom floated over to Oak with an injured arm. He used a potion to fix it.

" _Thank you!_ " Rotom cried.

Oak held out his palm, and Rotom landed in it. "So, Rotom, will you come with me? I'm quite excited about studying all your many formes."

" _What do you think, guys?_ " Rotom said. It flew over to its friends and they conversed quietly. It flew back over to Oak.

"Does that mean yes?" Oak said. Rotom nodded. "Why, that's excellent news!"

Oak held out a PokéBall, and Rotom happily climbed inside it.

"Wow, way to go, Professor Oak!" Ash said.

"Happy endings are the best!" Iris said.

"You two are always welcome to visit us anytime!" Oak said to the two other Rotom.

" _Will do!_ " one of the Rotom said, and the two flew off.

"Ah, the glorious aroma of friendship!" Cilan said. "I think this will be a wonderful time for a poem!"

"What? Poem?" I said.

"Rotom: making friendship an electrifying event! The perfect sign of a day well spent!" Oak said.

I chuckled nervously. "First he's a professional Pokémon expert, then he has his own TV show, and now he's a poet. He's the entire package."

* * *

As the sun began to set, we headed back to the docks to wait for our ship.

"Would you all like to fly with me?" Oak said. "It's a quick trip to Kanto!"

"Hey, thanks, Professor!" Ash said, and my heart deflated. "But we're gonna keep traveling by ship."

"Then we can meet all sorts of different Pokémon!" Iris said.

"That will make our journey even more fun and flavorful!" Cilan said.

I sighed in relief. _And we can stay together for longer._

"I hope we can meet again!" Oak said. He turned to me. "And perhaps I will be able to learn more about Pokémon Guardians! Until then, you keep doing what you do, and continue to be the voice of people and Pokémon everywhere!"

I smiled. "Will do, Professor."

"Take good care!" Oak climbed onto the plane, and we waved to it until it disappeared into the sky.

"That reminds me..." I said, glancing at Zorua. "Didn't you have something to tell me earlier?"

" _Oh... Yeah._ " Zorua said. " _But... I don't know if I should tell you._ "

"Tell her what?" Cilan said.

"Come on, Zorua, I'm sure it's nothing." I said.

" _You sure?_ " Zorua said.

"Of course. Lay it on me."

" _Okay... You remember when Professor Oak told us that Rotom was a genderless Pokémon?_ "

"Yeah. I said I had never seen a genderless Pokémon before."

" _Well..._ " Zorua said, and she started to giggle. " _Celebi is a genderless Pokémon._ "

" _What_?!" I cried. "N-no, that can't be true!"

"Here, take a look for yourself." Ash said, shoving his Pokédex into my face. I grabbed the device and skimmed though the information on Celebi. Sure enough, it read "GENDERLESS" underneath its Gender ratio. My friends started to laugh, too.

"Don't laugh!" I cried, throwing the Pokédex back at Ash. He fumbled and caught it. My face reddened with embarrassment. "It's not funny!"

"It kinda is." Iris chuckled.

"W-well, I'm an exception! I'm obviously a female Celebi!"

"It's okay, Rylee. This'll be our little secret." Ash said. I punched his arm, and he winced.


	7. Rated P For Pirates

The next day, we headed to the battlefield. We watched Axew, Pignite, and Pikachu play a game of volleyball.

"Don't you think cruises are a lot of fun?" Ash said to us and Snivy as we watched the game from above.

"It's hard to believe how many Decolore Islands we've been to!" Iris said.

"True! And each island has its own unique flavor." Cilan said.

Porter came and offered us drinks. The ball the Pokémon were playing with made their way over to us. I turned and spiked the ball down, causing it to hurtle towards Pignite. With quick reflexes, he smacked it, and it flew off the battlefield. I chuckled and took a sip of my juice as Pignite went after the ball.

"I hope we still have lots more to explore." I said.

"Me too!" Iris said. "I hope this never ends!"

"I couldn't agree more." I smiled.

* * *

Afterwards, we all headed back inside. We walked down the hallways towards our room, Pikachu and Snivy a few paces ahead of us. As they prepared to turn the corner, they jumped back as a cart zoomed down the hallway with an Octillery, a Croconaw, and an Azumarill.

" _Move it!_ " the Croconaw cried.

" _Hey, watch it!_ " Snivy hissed.

"What was that?" I said.

Suddenly, the alarms blared.

"What's going on?" Ash said.

"That's the ship board alarm. It means thieves must've gotten onboard." Porter said.

"Thieves?!" Iris said.

"Thieves at sea mean one thing; they have to be pirates!"

"Pirates?" I cracked my knuckles as I pictured a gang of scraggly men with eye patches and striped clothing. "Good, something to do."

Pikachu and Snivy led us down the hall, and we caught up with the rogue Pokémon. In the cart they rode on were crates of food.

"Hey, that's not yours!" I called.

"Come back here!" a voice called. The Pokémon turned the cart back around and rode straight for us. We jumped against the wall to avoid getting run over. The Pokémon raced by, followed by a few ship employees.

Croconaw looked at its partners. " _All together, now!_ " he said.

Octillery attacked with Hydro Pump, Azumarill with Bubblebeam, and Croconaw with Hidden Power. The employees stopped as the combined attacks hit the ground in front of them, creating a large smokescreen.

"Come on!" I said, running after the Pokémon. I ran outside just in time to see them throw the last of the food into the water, where a Ducklett waited for them on a wooden raft. "Stop! Why are you stealing that food?"

Croconaw and Azumarill shot Hydro Pump and Bubblebeam at me. I gasped and brought my arms up together in front of my face for protection. The attacks slammed into me, and I flew back and hit the ground.

"Rylee!" my friends cried. Cilan knelt at my side and helped me sit up. We watched Azumarill and Croconaw jump over the railing and onto the raft. Croconaw used Hydro Pump to carry the raft away.

"Hey, you get back here!" Ash cried. Azumarill waved with a taunting giggle. Oshawott came out of its PokéBall and dove into the water. He swam after the raft. The pirates stared at him in surprise for a few moments. Oshawott leaped from the air and landed on the raft, right in the center of the Pokémon pirates. He sweatdropped, and Octillery shot ink in his face. As he struggled to wipe the ink off, he returned to his PokéBall.

"What was the point of that?!" Iris said.

The Pokémon's raft zoomed away.

"Oh, no! They're going to get away!" Cilan said.

"No, they're not!" Ash said.

Ash and I pulled out PokéBalls and called Articuno and Charizard. They went after the raft.

* * *

Ash called Oshawott back out and Iris wiped the ink out of his eyes and face.

"We've gotten several reports in the past about the potential dangers of sailing through these waters because of pirate Pokémon." Porter said. "Our company has kept a sharp eye out for them."

"There must be a good reason for Pokémon to do bad things." Iris said.

"I agree with Iris." I said with my arms crossed. "There's no such thing as a truly bad Pokémon. There's always a cause behind someone's actions. Maybe they have some righteous belief behind their bad deeds."

"We should find those pirates, then. Maybe they'll explain." Cilan said.

"I hope Charizard and Articuno come through for us." Ash said.

"They will, don't worry." I said. "Do you really doubt my Articuno?"

"I just reported Officer Jenny on the island we're heading to next." Porter said.

"Well, I say we help Officer Jenny find them." Cilan said.

We nodded in agreement.

* * *

"The pirate Pokémon struck again?" Officer Jenny said after the cruise ship docked.

"Yes. They stole much of the ship's food while it was still in boxes." Porter said.

"What kinds of Pokémon were involved?"

"Uh... I saw a Croconaw." Ash said.

"Octillery, too!" Iris said.

"There was also Azumarill." I said.

"And I saw a Ducklett perched on their getaway raft." Cilan said.

Officer Jenny wrote down this information in a small notebook. "Of course! That's the usual gang. They're pirates who've been wreaking havoc on the islands lately. The number of reported incidents have been overwhelming."

I tapped my finger against my chin. "What kinds of things have they stolen?"

"There's the report of people out fishing when their boat was stolen, people barbecuing on the beach when their food was stolen. They even stole fruit from a farm. They're constantly up to no good. But since there are so many Decolore Islands, we can't catch them. We've tried our best to located their hideout, but to no avail."

"Hm..."

As Officer Jenny showed us her police cruiser, Articuno and Charizard returned.

" _Rylee! We found them!_ " Articuno said.

"You did? Where are they?" I said.

" _Their secret hideout. We know where it is._ " Charizard said.

"Then, let's get there! Quickly!"

We piled in Officer Jenny's cruiser and rode off, following after Articuno and Charizard.

"Look at all that scuba gear!" Cilan said, referring to the shelf stuffed with suits, goggles, and air tanks.

"Right. We also operate as the coast guard." Jenny said.

"You're the coast guard as well?" Iris said.

"Correct. We help those out at sea who may need assistance."

"That's so cool!" Ash said.

Iris glanced over at me. "Is something the matter, Rylee?" Iris said. "You've been pretty quiet for a while now."

"It's what Officer Jenny said about the pirate Pokémon. It sounds like all the reports made were due to them stealing food and transportation..." I said. I crossed my arms and stared at the ground in deep thought. "Something about that seems really odd. If they were real pirates, wouldn't they want to go around stealing things like money and jewelry? You know, things with high value?"

"Where are you going with this?" Cilan said.

"These pirates don't make sense. They're stealing supplies, not trinkets. Provisions, not possessions."

"Maybe they're meant for something." Iris said.

I knit my brows together and crossed my arms.

" _Over here!_ " Articuno said, flapping her wing to the island we were fast approaching.

"There. That's where they are." I translated.

"It can't be. That island's too well-known. It's on every map, complete with a world-famous resort." Jenny said.

"It's a case of being hidden in plain sight." Cilan said.

"No wonder we could never find it."

* * *

Charizard and Articuno led us to the backside of the island, a small cul-de-sac where a secret area was hidden. The police cruiser docked, and we used giant rocks as a pathway to the shore. Ash and I returned Charizard and Articuno back to their PokéBalls. On the shore, we saw the pirate Pokémon.

"Don't move!" Jenny cried as the Pokémon tried to run away. "Now, I'm placing you under arrest for your piratings throughout the Decolore Islands!"

"Wait a minute, Jenny." I said, stepping past everyone. "It doesn't make sense. People and Pokémon live together in harmony. There has to be a reason why these guys are doing what they're doing."

I walked over and knelt in the sand, leveling myself with the Pokémon.

"My name is Rylee. Please, I want to know why you've done all these bad things." I said. The Pokémon glared at me, and I returned it with a warm smile. "I promise, I won't get mad."

I saw tears peeking out at the corners of their eyes.

" _It's not our fault!_ " Croconaw said.

" _We had to do it!_ " Ducklett said.

" _You don't know what it's like!_ " Octillery said.

" _You don't know what we've suffered!_ " Azumarill said.

I gasped quietly and laid my hand over my heart. "Yes, I don't know... but I want to understand." I looked between each Pokémon, and sympathy swept over my face. "You poor things. You've all been abandoned by your trainers, haven't you?"

Each Pokémon nodded, memories of their past showing through the hatred in their eyes.

"They must've lived hard lives." a familiar, scruffy voice said. Meowth emerged from a rock and approached us.

"Meowth! What are _you_ doing here?!" Iris said.

"Well... I'll spare you the details, see?" Meowth said, nervously scratching the back of his head. "And your Pokémon twerpette is right. It sounds like these sad sacks have been through a whole lot. They say their trainers treated them pretty badly, like dirt."

As I looked at each Pokémon, voices swept through my mind.

 _"What's wrong, Croconaw?! It's_ your _fault I didn't win my gym battle and get a badge! You blew it again! When are you ever gonna evolve into Ferraligator? I'd had it with you!"_

 _"No way! How could you evolve into Azumarill?! I liked you as a cute Marill! I don't want you anymore! Bye-bye!"_

 _"You're completely useless now! I didn't think Remoraid would evolve into Octillery! It's over! We're through! I'm outta here!"_

 _"Wipe that smile off your face! We just lost a battle! Doesn't that bother you at all?! Ugh, I don't need you anymore!"_

Tear pricked my eyes. "I... I'm so sorry... I can't believe you were treated so cruelly..." I said.

" _It was really hard..._ " Croconaw said.

" _Sometimes, we didn't even get enough food. Most nights, we went to bed hungry, wondering when our next meal would be... or if it would ever come._ " Azumarill said.

Meowth pulled out a tissue from an unknown place and wiped his eyes. "Ah! Since I've been there more than I can say, it gets me right in the gut!" he said.

"That's horrible..." Iris said.

"How could any trainer refuse to give their Pokémon love?" Cilan said.

" _After we were abandoned, we joined together._ " Octillery said.

" _It was the only way we could stay alive. The four of us made a pact; to make people pay for what they did to us!_ " Ducklett said.

"I know you have good reason to want to get revenge. I get it. I know there are bad people in this world... but there are also good people. Don't let the cruelty of one harden your heart to the rest." I said.

" _I understand perfectly what you mean. I've had my fair share of abandonment. But not all trainers are selfish! When my first trainer left, that's when Ash came along, and he accepted me as part of his family!_ " Pignite said.

" _Whatever. I've got zero patience for loser trainers._ " Snivy said.

"Easy, now..." Ash said, sweatdropping. "Now, will you all stop stealing?"

" _You think your little speech is gonna erase the years of pain we've been through?! HA!_ " Croconaw said.

" _Oh, really?_ " Snivy said. " _Then, let's battle. If we win, you'll stop stealing from others._ "

" _Yeah, right! Like you'll be able to surpass our years of pirate experience! Go on, I dare you!_ "

" _I think what you_ really _need is an attitude adjustment!_ "

"Looks like no one's going to back down from this." Jenny said. "So how do we resolve it?"

"Leave that to me!" Ash said.

On the sandy shore, we set up for a battle between Snivy and Pignite and Azumarill and Croconaw. In the end, Ash and his Pokémon won.

"All right, you promised. No stealing, okay?" Ash said.

"Not now, at the top of your game!" a voice said.

"The path of thievery goes on and on!" another voice said. Team Rocket stood perched on a rock protruding the ocean.

Ash sighed. "Why don't you just give it up?"

"Give it up? Team Rocket never says quit!" Meowth said.

"Pirates, join with us! We'll be a big hit!" James said.

"There's an evil top of the heap, and we're it!" Jessie said.

"STOP! Will you butt out?!" Iris cried.

"Never! Woobat, go!"

"Yamask, you too!"

"Air Slash!"

"And Shadow Ball!"

We ran out of the way to avoid the attacks.

"Eevee, use Swift! Zorua, use Night Daze!" I extended my arm out, and Zorua ran down it and jumped into the air. I threw Eevee's PokéBall into the air, and she emerged. Eevee swiped her tail, and large, golden stars zoomed through the air. Zorua pounded her paws against the ground, creating deep waves of dark energy that mixed in with the Swift, turning them from golden to black. The combined move collided into Team Rocket's Pokémon.

"Pignite, Fire Pledge!" Pignite punched the ground, and the sand beneath Yamask and Woobat erupted into a massive column of fire. They fell back and crashed into Team Rocket, and they all blasted off into the sky.

"You see?" Iris said to the pirate Pokémon. "You're going to end up like them if you keep doing bad things!"

The pirate Pokémon shook their heads rapidly, muttering that they'll never be anything like them, which brought a small smile to my face. Suddenly, the clouds began to roll in, and the tide grew massive.

"What's happened to the ocean?" Iris said.

"The weather changes quick around here." Jenny said.

Through the coursing waves, we saw a blown up rafting tube with a group of Darumaka clinging to the sides.

"Not good. It's much too risky to reach them with the police cruiser." Jenny said.

" _Leave it to us!_ " Croconaw said. The pirate Pokémon dove into the ocean and swam towards the tube. As they swam back to the shore, a large wave swept underneath the tube and launched it into the air. The Pokémon combined their Water Guns to steady the raft. They carried the raft to the shore, and the Darumaka climbed out.

"Are you all right?" I said. The Darumaka nodded. I turned to the pirate Pokémon with a smile. "Thank you, guys. I'm really proud of you."

The Pokémon chattered sheepishly.

" _Aw, it was nothing!_ " Azumarill said.

* * *

We returned to the main island and returned the Darumaka to their owners, a little boy and girl.

"The ocean was calm out on our raft." the boy said.

"It happened so fast..." the girl said.

"The weather can change quickly out at sea." Jenny said. "Be careful from now on."

"Besides, it was really Croconaw and his friends you should be thanking." I said. "They're the ones who saved your Darumaka."

"Really?" the kids said, turning to the Pokémon. "Thanks so much!"

The Pokémon chuckled sheepishly.

"Say, why don't you consider joining the Decolore Coast Guard?" Jenny said.

" _Really?_ " Octillery said.

"That sounds like a great idea!" I said. "You'll be happy with Jenny. She'll take good care of you!"

" _Yeah!_ " the Pokémon cried.

"But first things first." Jenny said. "You'll have to apologize to everybody you've stolen from."

" _Deal! Thank you!_ "

* * *

We boarded the cruise ship at sunset and waved goodbye to the ex-pirate Pokémon and Officer Jenny.

"Bye! Take care!" Ash said.

"You guys be good!" I said.

"Best wishes!" Iris said.

"Take care of the Pokémon, Officer Jenny!" Cilan said.

"Right! You have my word! Don't worry!" Officer Jenny said.

"Nice job with helping the Pokémon, Rylee." Iris said. "It must be pretty cool to be able to understand Pokémon."

"Yeah. My powers never cease to amaze me." I said. I looked down at my hands. "I wish I could explore them more... but I know N and my dad know best. I want to protect you guys."

My friends all smiled at me. Their friendly gazes filled my heart with joy.


	8. Evolution At Its Finest

"Wow!" Ash cried as he gazed at the island coming into view, our next stop. "We're getting close to the next island!"

"It's beautiful!" Iris said.

A flock of Swanna crooned as they passed over us.

"Wow..." I said, stretching my arms out and looking up at the flock as the sea breeze brushed against my skin. "I wish I had a camera for this."

"I wonder where they're all going." Ash said.

"Our next stop is Wayfarer Island. It's a popular spot for migrating Pokémon to use as a place to rest on their way, while other Pokémon begin their lives there and then start their journey." Porter said.

"I can't wait to see that!" Ash said.

* * *

The cruise ship docked, and we headed to the Pokémon Center to ask Nurse Joy for more information on the migrating Pokémon.

"I'm sure you'll find lots of migrating Pokémon deep in the mountains." Nurse Joy said.

"Awesome! Let's go have a look!" Ash said.

"Just make sure you stay safe and sound!"

We started down the trail to the mountains.

"I'm so psyched to see what kind of Pokémon we're gonna find!" Ash said.

"You seem especially excited for this." I said.

We paused to look at a bunch of Metapod rocking in the grass. One by one, the Metapod began to glow bright blue, indicating that they were evolving. They emerged as Butterfree. They laid against the ground as their wings began to flutter, ready to begin their migration. The Butterfree lifted off into the sky. Another group of Butterfree emerged from the trees and united with the other flock, creating a massive cloud of Butterfree.

"Nature: showing off its delicious recipe for perfection!" Cilan said.

"It's really something." Iris said.

"Yeah..." Ash said.

We heard something rustling nearby. A small Caterpie poked its head out from a bush and crawled over to us.

"Huh? I guess this Caterpie wasn't able to evolve with the others." Iris said.

"Now it's alone..." Cilan said.

"Seeing this Caterpie really takes me back. That's 'cause Caterpie was the first Pokémon I ever caught. It chose to be with its friends. It sure would be nice to know where my Pokémon is now. I'm sure it's happy with its new life." Ash said. "Caterpie, hurry up, or you're gonna get left behind!"

But Caterpie had fallen fast asleep.

"Ah! What are you sleeping for?!" Ash cried. Suddenly, an idea hatched in his mind. "Oh, yeah! I know!"

Suddenly, Ash took off in the other direction.

"Ash, where are you going?!" I called.

"To the Pokémon Center!" Ash called over his shoulder.

Iris, Cilan, and I glanced at each other. We stood over Caterpie as it continued to sleep.

"If Caterpie keeps this up, it'll sleep right through the next migration!" I said.

"At least it won't be alone by that time." Cilan chuckled.

"Hey!" Ash called as he ran back over to us.

"There you are! Why did you have to go to the Pokémon Center?" Iris said.

"For this!" Ash said, pulling out a PokéBall. "Hey, Caterpie! Let's have a battle!"

"Of course! Battling with it will certainly help it to evolve!" Cilan said.

Ash tossed his PokéBall in the air, and Leavanny came out.

"Leavanny? Why?" Iris said.

"Since Leavanny and Caterpie are Bug-types, and Leavanny already evolved, I figured it might help Caterpie evolve." Ash said.

" _It's worth a shot._ " Leavanny said.

"All right, Caterpie, let's go!" Ash cried, but Caterpie continued to nap in the grass. "I said _wake up_! All right, Leavanny, wake Caterpie up with Energy Ball!"

Leavanny's Energy Ball smacked into Caterpie, and it went tumbling into the air. It landed and scurried away into the bushes.

"Well, that didn't work." I said.

"Seems the only thing Caterpie's fast at is running away in fear." Iris said, earning a laugh from Cilan.

"Caterpie!" Ash cried, running off into the forest.

"Looks like this'll take longer than we thought." I said. "Do you think Ash will be able to help Caterpie evolve in time to migrate?"

"Maybe? I don't know." Iris said. "I say we just see what happens."

In the forest, we heard Ash scream.

"Looks like he found Caterpie." Cilan said. "Or perhaps something else..."

We found Ash in the forest with Caterpie.

"There you guys are!" Iris said. "We thought something happened! I'm glad you're okay!"

"But it looks like your nose isn't." I said, referring to the large, red mark on the bridge of Ash's nose. "What did you do, face-plant into a tree?"

Ash ignored my comment with obvious embarrassment. He turned back to Caterpie. "Listen, I once had a Caterpie. That's why I can't just ignore you. Would you let me help you to evolve?"

After a pause, Caterpie nodded. " _Okay!_ " it said.

"Really? That's awesome!"

"You know, I saw some leaves here the Bug-types love." Iris said. She led us to a thick bush with bright green leaves. "Here."

Ash held Caterpie up to the bush, and Caterpie munched on the leaves. His nibbling quickly turned into a furious feast. After eating one leaf, Caterpie burped and fell back asleep.

"Uh- you gotta eat a lot more if you wanna evolve!" Ash said. Noticing Caterpie had fallen asleep, he sweatdropped. "You can't just take a nap all the time! Snap out of it!"

"Don't worry, Ash, we'll just have to find the right way for it to evolve." Cilan said.

"Yeah, everything's going to fine." Iris said.

"Yeah!" Ash said. He set Caterpie on the ground and he and Pikachu laid next to it in the grass. "But now, I'm gonna get a little shut-eye, too!"

"Great minds think alike." Cilan chuckled.

Iris, Cilan, and I laid next to Ash in the grass, respectively. Cupping my hands together and laying them over my stomach, I looked up at the sky and watched a flock of Swablu and Altaria drift over us.

"I guess the Swablu and Altaria are migrating as well." Iris said.

"It's that time of the year for all Pokémon to spread their wings and set off to a new place, where life and adventure awaits them." Cilan said.

"Hm..." I said. "I wonder when that time will come for us..."

"Did you say something, Rylee?" Iris said.

I turned over to my side, facing my back towards Iris and Cilan. "No." I held Zorua in my arms and laid my head against her fur. I closed my eyes, hoping to get a few minutes of peace.

* * *

 _My vision filled with fire. I gasped as I looked around, seeing nothing but red that licked against smashed stone._

 _"Iris! Cilan! Ash!" I cried, cupping my hands over my mouth to amplify my voice. "Can anybody hear me?!"_

 _A wall of flames erupted in front of me when I tried to take a step. I jumped back and shielded my face from the heat. As the flames grew closer, I shot my arms out and created a dome of Protect. The fire caressed the Protect, and the palm of my hands grew hot._

 _"Rylee..." a voice called. I looked through the flames and saw all my friends and family standing in the midst of the flames: Ash, Iris, Cilan, N, Alyssa, and my mom._

 _"Guys!" I cried. "Get away! Quick, come over here!"_

 _"Why didn't you protect us, Rylee?" Iris said, her voice distant and echo-y, like she was an apparition._

 _"What are you talking about? I'm doing everything I can!"_

 _"You could've stopped this." N said. "Did you forget your promise?"_

 _"No! Of course not!"_

 _"Then why, Rylee? Why couldn't you save us?" Ash said._

 _I tried to run to my friends, but my Protect refused to disperse. I pounded my fists against it, but it didn't budge. I summoned balls of AncientPower and beams of Hyper Beam to distinguish the Protect, but none did a thing._

 _"Run away! Please! Save yourselves!" I cried, tears streaming down my face._

 _"This is your fault, Rylee." Mom said. "This is all your fault."_

 _The flames around them rose._

 _"NO!" I screamed. The flames lowered, and my friends and family were gone. I scream-cried, beating against the Protect until my knuckles bled._

 _"It's all your fault... It's all your fault..." The combined voices of my friends and family echoed around me, shoving into my ears and stinging my heart and brain._

 _The walls of my Protect began to close in on me. I pushed against it in an attempt to stop it, but it seemed as if the flames were pushing it down on me. A large, white force flew up above the flames. My Protect finally faded, and I looked up and gasped at my father, Reshiram, looming over me. His stomach glowed blue. He opened his mouth, and Fusion Flare shot towards me. I screamed as blue fire engulfed my vision._

* * *

I sat upright with a scream. A sweat trickled down my back, and I patted my clothing for a few seconds to try and bat away the flames I didn't realized were never there in the first place. I looked around, and relief flooded through me at the sight of my friends. I buried my face in my hands and took deep breaths to calm my racing heartbeat.

"Rylee?" I gasped, slightly startled, when I heard Cilan's voice next to me. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Sorry... Did I wake you?" I said.

"Just by your scream. But it's fine." Cilan said, giving me a small smile. Seeing that I didn't react positively to his joke, his face fell blank. "What happened?"

"Nothing. I just had a bad dream, that's all." I said, looking at the ground.

After a few moments, I glanced back at Cilan. His grass green eyes locked with mine, and they studied my face. He slightly raised an eyebrow, indicating he knew there was more to my pathetic lie. As the events of my dream replayed in my mind, tears pricked my eyes. When he saw them, Cilan reached out and wrapped his arms around me. The warmth of his body made my tears break free and roll down my face. I clenched my fist, squeezed my eyes shut, and buried my face into his chest.

"I can't say I know how you feel, because I obviously don't." Cilan said. "I probably can't even fathom what it is that you have to go through. I wish I did so I knew how to help you feel better."

I sniffled and ran my hand under my nostrils. "This is fine." I said, my cheeks burning. _Did I_ really _just say that?_

But I felt his arms tighten around me, and my heart warmed, exploding into frisson that carried to all corners of my body.

Dread weighed down on my shoulders. _Would there ever come the day where this would become nothing but bittersweet memories? Would I have to say goodbye to this?_

* * *

Once Caterpie awoke, Ash suggested we climb some trees. A smile spread across my face; my specialty. Ash, Pikachu, and Caterpie inched up the tree. Halfway up the trunk, Caterpie shot a String Shot at a tree branch and used it to swing himself through the trees.

"Now, that's what I talking about!" I said.

I sprinted to a tree branch and jumped up. I swung forward and catapulted myself up, grabbed onto a vine, swinging through the forest with Caterpie. Iris followed my example, with Ash awkwardly following. As he reached to grab the next vine, he missed and fell to the ground.

"Oh, no, Ash!" Iris cried. Caterpie shot a String Shot that wrapped around Ash's waist, and he stopped in the air. "Are you okay?!"

"That was awesome!" Ash said. "Let's do that again!"

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. We feasted on berries and headed back to the Pokémon Center at sunset. Ash's Leavanny created a hat, similar to what Sewaddles wear, for Caterpie, who happily accepted it and wore it with pride. The next few days were a repeat of eating, napping, and training. Caterpie still hadn't even evolved into Metapod.

"I'm getting kind of worried." Iris said as we strolled through the forest looking for berries. "It's taking a really long time for Caterpie to evolve. What if it misses the migration?"

I glanced at Caterpie, perched on top of Ash's head. "I'm not sure. But Caterpie is really enjoying the time he's spent with Ash and us. If we give it a little more time, it's bound to evolve."

Caterpie had a great liking for Oran Berries, so Ash gathered an armful of them. He noticed one Oran Berry bush had claw marks scratched across them.

"Uh... what's that?" Ash said, sweatdropping.

"Those are Pokémon claw marks. It how Pokémon mark their territory." Iris said, beaming in the pride of her knowledge.

"But that means-!"

We heard a growl behind us. Slowly, we turned around and saw an Ursaring looming over us, and it did not look happy. I gulped. _Why did it have to be Ursaring?!_

"Nice place you got here." Ash said.

"We weren't stealing anything!" Iris said.

Slowly, we backed away, nervously sweating. Ursaring roared. We whirled around and sprinted away, dropping all the berries we had collected in order to make our getaway quicker.

"Caterpie!" I cried when I remembered the little Bug Pokémon still munched ignorantly on Oran Berries. Ursaring lunged for it with its claws. Ash caught Caterpie and ran away with Ursaring chasing after them, disappearing into the trees. "Ash!"

They emerged from the forest, and Ursaring looked madder than ever. As they ran past, I noticed a foul stench emanating from Ursaring.

"I think he should lay off those berries." I gagged, covering my nose with my hand.

We followed Ash to the cliff edge. Pikachu used Thunderbolt on Ursaring, and it scurried away into the forest.

"Are you two all right?" Iris said.

"Yeah. Caterpie did really well against Ursaring." Ash said.

Caterpie crooned happily and was enveloped in a glowing blue light. We gasped.

"It's evolving!" I said.

Caterpie evolved into Metapod.

"We made it past the first step!" Ash cried, then groaned when Metapod fell asleep. "This is no time for a nap!"

* * *

We returned to the Pokémon Center.

"Hey, Ash, guess what?" Iris said after we settled in our cabin. "I just heard from Nurse Joy, and she said that next week, an entire group of Butterfree will come through this island!"

"This is Metapod's chance to evolve and migrate with them!" I said.

"But if we've only got until next week, with the way Metapod sleeps, I don't know..." Ash said, glancing at Metapod, who slept at the foot of his bed.

"Metapod evolves quickly, so you shouldn't worry." Cilan said.

* * *

We started off our next morning with a run in the forest. Our destination was at a cliff edge, where we stopped and caught our breath.

"That was hard..." Cilan said, doubling over and panting.

"You're joking, right? We only ran, like, half a mile." Iris said.

"You'd probably do better if you weren't running in a tux." I said.

" _This_ is a vest." Cilan said, straightening his bowtie. Iris and I rolled our eyes.

A flock of Butterfree flew above us.

"Look at all those Butterfree!" Ash said.

"They're here early..." Iris said.

"This isn't good. Nurse Joy said once the Butterfree arrive, they leave the next day as soon as the sun rises." Cilan said.

"Metapod, wake up _now_!" Ash cried to the sleeping Metapod, but it was fast asleep. "Oh, man... don't you want to be like those Butterfree, Metapod? They're gonna leave without you if you don't start working! We need special training!"

Throughout our day, we went through intense training with Metapod. We trained all through the night. As the bottom layer of the sky began to glow pink, we returned to the cliff side.

"Aren't you ready to evolve yet?" Ash panted. Seeing Metapod had fallen asleep _again_ , he growled. "Come _on_ , Metapod, wake up! We're out of time!"

Pikachu tried to shake Metapod awake. A giant claw shot out and grabbed both Pokémon. We looked up and saw the Team Rocket's Meowth hot air balloon.

"Give Pikachu and Metapod back, Team Rocket!" Ash said.

"Huh? Metapod?" James said, looking down at the two trapped Pokémon as if he didn't realize they took Metapod as well. "Well, it looks like steal one, get one free."

They trapped Pikachu in an electricity-resistant capsule and took off. Ash sprinted forward.

"You're not taking them anywhere!" he cried. He leaped over the cliff edge and grabbed the side of the hot air balloon basket.

"Stubborn twerp. I'll fix this." James said, pulling out a PokéBall. "Amoongus, Body Slam!"

Amoongus came out and smashed his wait into Ash's face repeatedly, but Ash held on. We saw something glow bright blue from the hot air balloon.

"Metapod! Is it evolving?!" Iris said.

Metapod evolved into Butterfree. Amoongus used Body Slam one more time, and Ash's grip on the basket came loose. As he fell, Butterfree used Psychic to bring Ash back to the cliff edge. Team Rocket tried to attack with their Pokémon, but Butterfree dodged and attacked the balloon with Psybeam. It destroyed Pikachu's capsule and it jumped out of the basket onto Butterfree's back. Pikachu used Thunderbolt and Butterfree used Psybeam on the balloon. It exploded, and Team Rocket launched into the sky and out of sight.

The sun began to rise, and I stretched my back.

"Have we been up all night?" I said through a yawn.

"It was all worth it, though. Look!" Cilan said. The Butterfree chirped as they floated up into the sky. "They're beginning their migration!"

"Butterfree, it's time for you to go, too." Ash said.

Butterfree glanced back at Ash with sad eyes before it took off into the sky and joined the other Butterfree. As Ash watched Butterfree fly away, his face fell blank and he bowed his head, shielding his eyes with the rim of his hat. Butterfree paused to turn back. Finally, Ash wiped his eyes and looked up with a smile.

"Bye-bye! You'll be just fine!" Ash said. He ran to the cliff edge and waved. "Bye, Butterfree! You're gonna do just great! Don't take a nap, though, or else you'll end up losing the others!"

Butterfree turned back around and flew away with the flock.

"A great recipe for Butterfree's new life." Cilan said.

"Yeah, and not a moment too soon! Thank goodness." Iris said.

"Ash, are you okay?" I said, noticing the tears pooling in his eyes. "Are you crying?"

"Now, why would I be crying at such an awesome time like this?" Ash said, wiping his eyes.

"Oh, Ash." Iris said.

"You said you had a Butterfree once. Does this bring back memories?" I said.

"Yeah..." Ash turned back to us and smiled. "But we're friends now, which means we'll see each other again."

My friends and I nodded, Ash's counsel bringing a little peace to my heart.


	9. Breakups and Makeups

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Check out the last chapter of my Danny Phantom fanfiction, "The Life of Saralyn 2" for a special surprise that'll interest you** **Pokémon fans! Maybe that'll get you interested in reading the series?**

* * *

"All right, whaddya mean by that?!" Ash said.

"You heard me!" Iris said, planting her fists on her hips. Pikachu and Axew stood at the feet of their trainers, trying to coax them into calming down, while Cilan and I stood and watched this fiasco take place. "You're such a little kid, Ash Ketchum!"

"Well, what about yourself, Iris?! Always getting angry for no reason!"

"Oh, I've got a reason: I'm sick of traveling with you! We are through!"

Cilan and I gasped.

"Oh, yeah? That's fine with me!" Ash said, and the two kids folded their arms and turned away from each other.

" _Iris, you don't mean that..._ " Axew said.

"Let's go, Axew." Iris said, scooping Axew into her arms and walking away.

" _Ash! Go after her!_ " Pikachu cried, but Ash ignored his friend's pleas. Instead, he started walking down the path.

Cilan and I glanced at each other in concern before we followed Ash. Iris trudged up ahead, several paces in front of us. Both of them wore fierce scowls. As we walked, Pikachu paused and sadly watched Ash press forward, determined to sear a hole into the back of Iris's head with his fiery glare.

" _Why do those two have to be so stubborn?_ " Pikachu said. Cilan and I stood on both sides of Pikachu.

"I'm afraid when those two have their minds set on something, they tend to get stuck." Cilan said.

We watched the two kids continue on. I sighed.

"How could this have happened?" I said. "Things were fine when we first docked on the island."

"But who would've thought things would've ended up like this?" Cilan said.

I watched Ash and Iris with concern. They wouldn't really let this little debacle ruin their friendship... right? I couldn't let this adventure crumble before my eyes. I closed my eyes and did my best to retrace our steps, hoping to pinpoint where things went wrong. I remembered when we first docked on Capacia Island...

* * *

"This island, which is the largest of the Decolore Islands, is a true nature-lover's paradise." Porter said at the docks. "As a result, there is an abundance of wild Pokémon living here."

"Wild Pokémon? Can't wait to see them all!" Ash said.

"Yeah, me, too!" Iris said.

"May I suggest you take the path that leads you across the island?" Porter said, pointing his finger in the direction of the path. "There's another ship on the other side, and it's headed for the Kanto region as well."

"Perfect!" Ash said.

"Then it's settled, right?" Iris said, looking to Cilan.

"Right. I'm detecting an aroma of a delicious adventure!" Cilan said.

We said our thanks to Porter and walked out of the docks towards the forest path.

* * *

 _We were so unaware of what would happen on that path._

* * *

As we walked through down the path, Iris scanned the area.

"I don't notice anything interesting going on." she said. She looked off into the distance and took off, away from the path.

"Iris, where are you going?" Ash called. Suddenly, she stopped. "Is everything all right?"

Iris twirled around with a big smile. "These must be the most _beautiful_ flowers I've ever seen in my life!"

"Of course. Flowers..."

"But there's no denying that her surprising discovery is awfully nice." Cilan said.

"Albeit a little dramatic..." I said.

"There are lots of flowers I've never seen before!" Iris squealed, twirling around in the large flower patch.

Axew walked up to Iris and gave her some flowers. She gushed over them and inserted them into her hair.

"You're gonna get us lost if you keep wandering off the path, you know." Ash said.

"How could we get lost? We're barely off the path!" Iris said, and we continued walking.

A small patch of grass rustled next to us. We paused to watch the grass, and a Dunsparce came out, crawling out to the middle of the path.

"Cool, a Dunsparce!" Ash said after scanning it with his Pokédex.

"What kind of Pokémon is it, again?" Iris said, but Cilan shushed her.

"Not so loud! It's rare indeed to actually see a Dunsparce, since they move around cautiously, hiding in shrubs and bushes."

"So it's a super rare Pokémon!"

"All right, I'm gonna battle that Dunsparce and catch it!" Ash crept carefully towards Dunsparce. "Hey, Dunsparce, I challenge you to a battle!"

" _Huh?_ " Dunsparce said, turning around.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

As Pikachu crackled with electricity, ready to use its move, Dunsparce unleashed a piercing Screech. We covered our ears. Ash stumbled back and fell into Iris. The flowers that were in Iris's hair fell out and landed on the path, and seconds later, Ash landed on top of them. She gasped, her eyes shaking.

"We've got to get Dunsparce to stop!" Ash said, oblivious to the hurt radiating in Iris's eyes. "Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

Pikachu summoned an Electro Ball, but Axew stumbled into him, and the move flew away and crashed into the ground several feet away. Dunsparce shrieked and flew away.

"Dunsparce, wait!" Ash called, but Dunsparce was already out of our sight.

"I guess the chance of seeing that Dunsparce again are slim to none." Cilan said.

"...Iris?" I said, watching as she bent over the crushed flowers.

"If Axew hadn't gotten in the way, I would've been able to catch that Dunsparce!" Ash said.

" _What_?! You're blaming Axew?!" Iris cried, whirling around. "For your information, it was all _your_ fault for starting a battle without making a plan first!"

"That's because it would've gotten away by then!" Ash said. It was then that he noticed the flowers. "Uh, oh..."

Iris gathered together the flower pieces, picked up Axew, and walked past us in angry silence.

* * *

 _It all started with the Dunsparce incident. I had shrugged it off then, thinking Iris just needed some time to cool down before she'd let the mistake go. I guess I was very much wrong._

* * *

We started down the path, Cilan, Ash, and I walking behind Iris, who was a few paces ahead of us.

"Look, Ash, it's too bad about Dunsparce, but what happened was simply an accident." Cilan said.

"Yeah..." Ash said, his head shamefully bowed.

"It's best to make up quickly after a fight, rather than drag it out. The longer you wait, the harder it will be for either of you to apologize."

"If you make it up to Iris, I'm sure she'll forgive you." I said.

" _Like that! Look!_ " Pikachu cried, tugging on Ash's pant leg to get his attention. He pointed to a berry tree.

"That's it!" Ash said. He plucked a berry from the tree. "I can't believe how good these berries look! Let's eat!"

Iris had stopped, but her back was turned. Ash took an enthusiastic bite out of the berry.

"Delish! Cilan, Rylee, you want one?"

"Sure, thanks." I said.

"That sounds great!" Cilan said.

Ash tossed a berry to us, and we took a bite.

"Mm, it's truly delectable!" Cilan said.

I rolled my eyes and took another bite out of the sweet berry, wondering if Iris was actually buying this horrible act.

"Hey, Iris and Axew, catch!"

Iris turned around as Ash tossed her a few berries, and she caught them in surprise.

"Just give 'em a try!" Ash said.

"Oh, well. Guess if he insists..." Iris said, and I saw the smile return to her face.

She turned around slightly as she sunk her teeth into the berry. Cilan, Ash, and I glanced at each other and smiled.

"BLECH!" Iris retched as she spat the berry out of her mouth. "So bitter... yucky..."

Ash trembled beside me, and soon, he was doubled over in laughter.

"There's _no_ way that berry's bitter! But that look on your face is the funniest thing I've ever seen!" Ash said, and Cilan joined in the childish giggles.

"I mean it! It's really bitter!" Iris said, and something clicked in her eyes. An enraged scowl formed on her face. "I can't believe you! You gave me a bad-tasting berry just to get back at me!"

"Huh? I wouldn't do that, I swear!"

"You're not just a little kid, Ash Ketchum, you're a big _baby_!" Iris shrieked, and she lobbed the berry as hard as she could at Ash. He moved his head out of the way, and Cilan caught it. He shook his hand from the pain of the powerful throw.

"What did you throw that at me for?!" Ash said.

"You're a little kid! No, wait, you're a _huge_ baby!"

"I wouldn't talk if I were you. You lose your grip for no reason at all!"

"Bad berries _are_ a good reason!"

"Now, why don't we just calm down-" Cilan said.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Iris and Ash cried, and Cilan reeled back in surprise.

"Hey, this is getting out of hand, guys! Knock it off!" I said.

"I've had just about all I can take traveling with you! I'm out of here!" Iris said.

"That's fine with me!" Ash said as Iris walked away. "Why would she think I'd do something like that? It's ridiculous!"

Cilan examined Iris's berry and took a bite out of it. Immediately, his face contorted into disgust.

"Iris's berry really _is_ bitter!" Cilan cried, and he spit the berry onto the ground.

Ash took the berry from Cilan and bit into it as well, resulting in the same reaction.

"Wow, that tastes _terrible_!" Ash said. "Rylee, taste it!"

"Are you kidding me? No." I said, pushing Ash's hand away. "I guess you picked the one berry on the tree that was bitter and gave it to Iris."

"But how could I know it was gonna be so bitter?! Iris didn't have to bite my head off like that, you know!" Ash grunted and threw the bitter berry into the grass. He stomped ahead of us. "Whatever! She said we're through! That's that!"

Cilan sighed. "Just perfect."

"They can't really mean what they're saying." I said. "They're just angry. Once they cool down, things will go back to normal."

My words didn't sound assuring enough. A dreadful weight settled on my heart as we followed after Ash and Iris.

* * *

That's how this whole fight got blown out of proportions- all because two little kids were too stubborn to apologize to each other and realize their friendship was more important than their stupid argument.

"It's obvious the anger between them is growing with each and every step." Cilan said.

"There's nowhere else we can go. This is the only path to take through here." I said.

Iris stopped and glared at Ash over her shoulder. "Look, will you stop following me, already?! We're through!"

"I'm _not_ following you, all right?! You keep insisting on walking ahead of me, that's all!" Ash said.

"Say that again?!"

"Yeah, make me!"

"Fine! I'll just make sure you can't follow me!" Iris turned around and leaped into the trees, disappearing into the forest.

Cilan and I glanced at each other and sighed before we continued walking. We walked until we came to a large hill with a big tree.

"This looks like a good place to set up camp." Cilan said.

"Yeah, check out the great view from here!" Ash said, scanning his eyes over the horizon.

We set our stuff down and called out our Pokémon. Once dinner was ready, they sat around a large rock and cheered for the food in front of them. As Scraggy prepared to devour his food, he stopped and looked around. He stood up and walked over to Ash as he set the table.

"What's up, Scraggy?" Ash said. Scraggy stared at him silently. "Are you okay?"

"You know that Scraggy and Axew have been good friends, so Scraggy probably wants to know why Iris and Axew aren't around." Cilan said as he cooked our dinner.

"Oh, uh... you see, Iris is going to travel alone from now on, and Axew's going to go with her." Ash said. All of our Pokémon had picked up on the conversation and were now staring at Ash.

" _But..._ " Scraggy said.

"Oh, come on!" Ash said. He noticed the Pokémon staring at him. "What do you want me to do?!"

"It seems like none of them like the idea of not having Iris around." I said.

Snivy, Oshawott, and Pignite approached us.

" _Is Iris really... gone?_ " Snivy said.

"There's no need to be worried." Cilan said. "There's only one path, and we're all headed to the same place. Not only that, I'm certain Iris isn't that far ahead of us."

" _Really?_ " Pikachu said.

"Call it Connoisseur's intuition." Cilan said, shooting them a wink.

"You call it whatever you want. I say it's because I can see her hair from here." I said, pointing to a tree in the distance, where Iris's big, poofy hair poked through the leaves.

"So, come on, guys! Look at all this food!" Ash said.

Our Pokémon returned to their food and began to eat. As Ash continued setting the table, he paused as he realized he had placed four sets of utensils on the table.

"Oops. I set an extra place." Ash said, collecting one of the sets. Cilan chuckled.

"How long do you think they'll keep this up?" I said.

"Hopefully not for long." Cilan said. "This'll all blow over before you know it."

"Still... it makes me nervous. What if this jeopardizes their friendship?"

"You just gotta have faith that things will work out. Ash and Iris are just young kids who believe that they have to be right in things. They'll look past their pride and realize their friendship is more important than this silly fight."

I nodded, and a drop of water hit my forehead. I looked out and watched dark clouds gather quickly and drench the land.

"Hey, maybe you all should get back into your PokéBalls." Ash said to his Pokémon. They all sat on the rock and stared intently down the path.

"If I had to guess, I'd say they're all worried that Iris and Axew got caught in the rain." Cilan said.

Ash looked at all his Pokémon, then stared at the table in shame. He stood up and pulled his sleeping bag out of his backpack.

"I'm gonna sleep up here." Ash said as he climbed up the tree. "Goodnight."

" _Ash!_ " Pikachu said, hopping onto the table.

"Don't worry. I think Ash wants time to think, that's all." Cilan said. "Let's give him a little space."

" _Okay... if you say so..._ " Pikachu hopped down from the table and glumly walked back over to his friends.

I shot Cilan a worried look, and he answered with an assuring smile.

"Everything's going to be all right." he said.

I sighed and nodded.

* * *

I woke up to a conversation between a few of Ash's Pokémon. I opened my eyes and saw Scraggy, Pikachu, and Snivy standing at the crest of the hill, looking down the path.

" _I'm going to go look for Iris and Axew._ " Scraggy said. He turned to Pikachu. " _You coming with me?_ "

" _Like you have to ask! Let's go!_ " Pikachu said. He turned to Snivy. " _When we get back, we'll have Iris with us!_ "

" _But, Pikachu..._ " Snivy said.

As Pikachu and Scraggy ran down the hill, Snivy glanced up at Ash, still fast asleep in his sleeping bag. She glanced over at Charizard, Pignite, and Oshawott, who were still sleeping, and sighed. Cilan sat up in his sleeping bag with a smile, having witnessed the event as well.

"They went to get Iris and Axew, right?" Cilan said. Snivy nodded.

After putting our stuff away, Snivy extended one of her vines and nudged Ash awake.

"Good morning, Ash!" Cilan said.

"Yeah... morning." Ash said groggily. He rolled up his sleeping back and jumped down to the ground. "Hey, where are Pikachu and Scraggy?"

"They went to go get Iris and Axew." I said.

"What?!"

"It appears they left early to go get them before they got too far ahead." Cilan said.

"Were you _both_ in on this?!"

Cilan and I glanced at each other before smiling innocently at Ash. Snivy shoved Ash forward with her vines.

"Snivy, what are you doing?!" Ash said. Oshawott joined in, pushing Ash's legs, and Pignite helped give a final shove. Ash toppled over the crest of the hill and rolled down to the bottom. Charizard managed to put Ash's backpack on him while he rolled. "What was that for?!"

"That's easy; would you leave your Pokémon simply because you got in an argument with them or because they made a mistake?" Cilan said.

"I'd never do that! Leaving a friend's the dumbest thing I could do!" Ash said, and the realization hit him.

"Now you're catching on." I said. "Iris is a good friend of yours, so why would she be an exception?"

Ash's eyes began to shake, and he bowed his head.

"Yeah, you're right... but what should I do?" he said.

"It takes courage to apologize after a fight, but we'll all be there cheering you on." Cilan said as we all walked down the hill towards Ash.

"You will?" Ash said. He smiled and jumped to his feet. "All right! I'm gonna find Iris right now! And then, I'll tell her I'm sorry."

"Now you're starting to grow up from your little kid ways." I said. "We'd better get going. We've got a friend waiting for us!"

* * *

As we walked down the path, we heard startled cries from Scraggy and Pikachu. Our walk turned into a run, and soon we saw the two encased in a net with Team Rocket on the other end.

"Why don't you guys just give up already?!" I said. "We all know how this is going to play out!"

"Sorry, not this time!" Jessie said, and she chucked a small box into the air. A large net came out and landed on Cilan, Ash, and I, knocking us to the ground.

"Hey, no fair!" Ash cried, trying to claw the net off him.

"This is where we say goodbye!" James said as the Meowth hot air balloon appeared above them. It lifted the net with Scraggy and Pikachu inside, and Jessie and James grabbed hold of it and took off.

"Come back here, right now!" Ash said. "Rylee, do something, please!"

I gulped. "I..."

"Axew, Dragon Rage!" A force of pulsing blue energy shot from the trees and sliced through the rope. Iris jumped out from the trees and caught Scraggy and Pikachu as they fell and released them. "Ash, it's your turn!"

"All right!" Ash cried as we managed to pry the net off. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt, now!"

The Thunderbolt connected with the hot air balloon, and it exploded, sending Team Rocket into the sky and out of sight.

It was silent as Ash and Iris stared at each other.

"Remember what we talked about." Cilan whispered to Ash.

"Yeah, I know..." Ash said. "Iris, I'm _so_ sorry..."

"I'm sorry, too." Iris said, slightly surprised at the sight of Ash being willing to apologize. "It was partially my fault. Forgive me!"

They both bowed deeply, and a few moments later, their eyes met and they began to laugh.

"That worked out, see?" Cilan said.

"I never said I doubted you." I said.

Pikachu and Axew split up into the sidelines. Pikachu returned with a flower and offered it to Ash, and Axew returned with a berry and offered it to Iris.

"Here, Iris, for you." Ash said.

"Here, Ash, for you." Iris said.

They exchanged their gifts. Iris fit the flower into her hair, and Ash polished off the berry and took a big bite out of it.

"From now on, leave all the berry picking to the experts." Iris said.

"That's fine with me! That berry did a number on my stomach!" Ash said, and we all laughed.

"Everything's back to normal. In fact, I think Iris and Ash's friendship has grown even stronger now." Cilan said.

"This journey wouldn't be the same without them both." I said. I looked at the ground. "Without any of us, really..."

" _Hooray for happy endings!_ " Pikachu said.


	10. Wishful Thinking

We continued down the path that would eventually take us to the other side of Capacia Island, where our next boat would be. The path took us to a barren wasteland as dry as a pair of chapped hands in the winter. We paused at the base of a crater and saw a circle of pointy rocks in the center.

"Those rocks have such unusual shapes." Iris said. Axew chattered in agreement.

"The sun will be going down soon. Why don't we set up came here?" Cilan said.

We agreed and pulled out our stuff. The nighttime soon came, and we fell asleep. However, sometime during the night, I woke to a strange warping sound going off near us. I opened my eyes, adjusting to the bright moon hovering above us, and sat up in my sleeping bag. I gasped as I looked down the crater and saw something glowing in the center of the pointed rocks. Waves of light rippled towards the main glowing blue source, and a bright cluster of crystals lifted into the sky. The crystals disappeared, and a small Pokémon floated in the air.

I gasped again. "Jirachi..."

"Rylee." I jumped from the quiet whisper nearby, and I looked and saw Cilan, Axew, Zorua, and Pikachu looking at me. "You saw that too, right?"

"Yeah..." I said breathlessly. "Wow... I've never seen a Jirachi before."

" _Let's go say hi!_ " Zorua said, and she, Pikachu, and Axew climbed down the crater towards Jirachi.

"Zorua, wait!" I whispered harshly, but the three Pokémon were already heading towards the mythical Pokémon.

When Zorua, Pikachu, and Axew greeted Jirachi, it was frightened at first and tried to run away, but they blocked its path. They made silly faces, and Pikachu caused his tail to glow brightly with electricity, which Jirachi seemed to deeply enjoy.

"That's incredible." I said while Cilan and I watched the events from a large boulder nearby.

"What's going on?" Iris said groggily. Cilan shushed her and pointed over to Jirachi. "Wow..."

As Pikachu, Zorua, and Axew played with Jirachi, I watched the mythical Pokémon with awe. Slowly, I stepped out from behind the boulder and made my way towards the four.

"Rylee, what are you doing?" Cilan said.

"It's okay, I just..." I said, my voice trailing off.

When I was a few steps away, Jirachi finally noticed me.

"Hi, Jirachi." I said. I noticed it step back in fear. I crouched down. "It's okay. Please, don't be afraid. These three are my friends. My name is Rylee. I'm a Pokémon Guardian."

Jirachi relaxed and gazed at me in wonder. " _Really? A Pokémon Guardian?_ "

I nodded and reached my hand out to it. "It's nice to meet you."

Jirachi stared at my hand. Moments later, it smiled and held it between its tiny palms. I smiled.

" _Wow. What an incredible chance to meet you._ " Jirachi said.

I chuckled. "I should say the same for you." I said. "I heard you can grant wishes. Is that true?"

Jirachi nodded and a glimmer of hope churned in my stomach.

"Hey, Jirachi!" a voice cried.

I turned around as Ash sprinted over to us. Jirachi cried out and flew away.

"Jirachi, wait!" I said. I growled and turned around, causing Ash to cower until my glare. "Things were going just fine before you decided to open your loud mouth! Jirachi was getting along with us!"

"Sorry..." Ash said.

"I guess your sudden appearance gave Jirachi quite a scare. There's always a chance it will come back." Cilan said as he and Iris approached us.

"Didn't you hear what Ash's Pokédex said? Jirachi only appears for seven days every one thousand years!" Iris said.

"What?" I said, and the hopeful feeling dropped to my feet.

We returned to our sleeping bags, but it took a lot longer before I was able to fall asleep. When I did, I awoke to daylight. As we packed up our things, Ash sighed.

"Aw, man." he said. "All I wanted was to be Jirachi's friend."

"Maybe you should've tried a different approach instead of running full speed at it and screaming at the top of your lungs." I said.

"Hey, I said I was sorry!"

"If we were friends, maybe Jirachi would grant us a wish!" Iris said.

"It boggles the mind! A mythical Pokémon making wishes come true!" Cilan said. "The thought of it is truly delicious!"

"I'd wish to become a Dragon Master! If you could, what would you wish for?"

Cilan paused for a moment in rolling up his sleeping bag. "Hm... I'd have to think about that."

"I'd wish to have not scared it off in the first place." Ash said, hanging his head.

Iris rolled her eyes. "What about you, Rylee? What would you wish for?"

Her question caught me off guard. I slung my backpack over my shoulders. "Uh... maybe I'd wish to become a Pokémon Knight. I don't know."

"Did you say Jirachi was here?!" A young girl with short, dull, pink hair and lavender eyes emerged from the rocks. She wore a white t-shirt with pink, three-quarter sleeves, tan capris, red loafers, and two yellow hair clips that held her bangs in place. "When?! Where?!"

"Last night, right here." Cilan said.

"So, where did Jirachi go?! You've gotta tell me!"

"I don't know where it went. It flew off that way-" Ash said, pointing in the direction. Immediately, the girl whirled around and took off in that direction.

"Jirachi!" the girl cried. She started climbing up the tall cliffside. "You've gotta come back, please!"

She grabbed a rock, but it broke loose from the cliffside. She fell back on her butt.

"Oh, no! Are you all right?" Iris said.

"It's nothing, I'm fine!" the girl said. She stood up and groaned from her injured leg.

"You're not. You need to rest." Cilan said.

The girl sighed. "All right..."

"Why are you so obsessed with finding Jirachi?" I said.

The girl glanced back at us. "I really want it to grant my wish. Come on, let's go back to my house. I'll explain there."

* * *

We went to the girl's house, where we delivered her to her mom and she bandaged up her scratched knee. The house was small, colored with brown and tan with a dead tree next to it and a fence wrapped around. A large, dry acre of dirt sat across.

"Oh, dear, always getting in trouble." the mom said. She had blue eyes, maroon-brown hair tied in a low ponytail by a blue bow, a green button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to her elbows, maroon pants, yellow boots, and a blue apron. "There, you'll be fine, now."

"Thank you, Mom." the girl said.

The mother packed up her first aid kit and turned to us. "We've caused you a lot of trouble. I'm really sorry."

"It's no problem, really." Ash said.

"My name is Lotus, and I live here with my daughter, Gemma." the mother said. Gemma stood up and headed for the front door. "Gemma, where are you going?"

Gemma paused to look at her mom, her hand tightly gripping the doorknob. "I've gotta go, Mom. I have to find Jirachi to make my wish come true."

Lotus approached her daughter. "I understand how you feel, but I've told you a hundred times; the mountain isn't going to be affected by any wish."

"But Jirachi _has_ to help me!" Gemma said. "It can do it, I just know it!"

"Help with what?" Cilan said. "Do you mean the condition of the mountain?"

Lotus rested a hand on Gemma's shaking shoulder. "Yes, it was. With trees and water." She walked over to the fireplace and picked up a picture of a beautiful forest area. "This mountain used to be the most beautiful place you've ever seen. The water came to the surface from an underground spring and formed the loveliest lake. But then the sun began to beat down day after day, and the spring gradually stopped flowing. It dried up, and all the plants withered away. One by one, the people who lived here moved away. Finally, we were the only ones left."

"There's an ancient legend that says Jirachi lives in these mountains. I'm certain that's who you all saw last night." Gemma said. "I can't lose this chance to get my wish!"

"Jirachi awakens for only seven days every one thousand years." Cilan said. "I'd have to agree there's no time to waste."

"I know! We'll all help you out, Gemma!" Ash said.

Gemma gasped. "Really?"

"Yeah! We'll help you with your wish and get the trees and water back!" Iris said.

"That's so nice!" Gemma said, and she began to cry. "Thank you!"

* * *

We headed back to the crater where Jirachi had appeared. Nearby was a large, stone shrine with a chisel of the cluster of crystals I had seen the night before, before Jirachi appeared.

"So this is the shrine of the lake?" Ash said.

"Yeah, and the shrine of the mountain is located way, _way_ up there on the mountain top." Gemma said, turning her head toward the mountain. "According to ancient legend, you have to go there with Jirachi if you want to have your wish granted."

"This place is enormous. Where would we start looking?" I said.

"I've got an idea. Come on!" Gemma said.

We followed Gemma down the path. We came to a small spring.

"I don't see anything. Gemma, are you sure about this?" Ash said.

"All kinds of wild Pokémon gather here all the time, so I thought maybe Jirachi would be here, too." Gemma said.

"Wait. Quick, hide!" Cilan said, grabbing Gemma's shoulder to stop her. He pulled us all behind a nearby boulder. When Iris asked what was the matter, he shushed her. "Take a look over there."

We looked and saw Jirachi floating towards the spring.

"Look, it's Jirachi!" Gemma cried, but Cilan held his arm out to stop her from jumping out.

"Hold on. Any sudden movements will scare Jirachi away." Cilan said.

"So, what do we do?"

" _Rylee, we know what to do!_ " Zorua said.

"Huh?" I said, then the idea immediately dawned on me. "That's right! Jirachi knows Pikachu, Axew, Zorua, and I."

"I understand the Pokémon, but why you, Rylee?" Gemma said.

"Let's just say that Rylee really connects with Pokémon." Iris said.

Pikachu, Axew, Zorua, and I stepped out from the boulder and approached a wild Sewaddle, Petilil, and Patrat nibbling on berries.

"Hi, there." I said. "My name's Rylee, and this is Pikachu, Axew, and Zorua."

" _Hi!_ " the three Pokémon said.

" _Hello!_ " the wild Pokémon said. Patrat offered us some berries.

"Thank you." I said, accepting the berry. I looked up at Jirachi. "Hi, Jirachi! Come and join us!"

Jirachi looked at me in surprise.

" _Yeah, we won't bite!_ " Patrat said.

Jirachi smiled and floated over to us.

"Now's the time to make our move." Ash said.

"Yeah!" Gemma said.

"No!" I hissed over my shoulder. "Not yet."

Patrat offered Jirachi a berry, and it happily accepted. It took a bite.

"It's great, huh?" I said, and Jirachi nodded.

"I just can't wait anymore! We're too close!" Gemma said. She jumped from behind the boulder and ran towards us. "Jirachi!"

"No, Gemma!" I cried.

"Please come with me! You've got to grant my wish!"

" _Gemma!_ " Axew said.

" _You've gotta calm down!_ " Pikachu said.

"Jirachi, please!" Gemma said. Zorua groaned in frustration, perfectly matching my state of mind as well.

Jirachi dropped its berry and flew away.

"Jirachi, wait!" Gemma called.

Jirachi glowed for a second, and a barrage of Swift rained down. We jumped away, and when we recovered, Jirachi was gone.

"What did we say?! We told you Jirachi would get scared and fly away!" I cried.

"I-I'm sorry!" Gemma said. I took a deep breath to calm my anger.

"Hey, it's okay. We'll just have to look for it again." Iris said.

* * *

We returned to Gemma's house for dinner.

"Where could Jirachi have gone?" Gemma said.

"It's possible Jirachi is afraid of us, now." Cilan said.

"We'll have to be a lot gentler next time. We need to earn Jirachi's trust." Iris said.

"Earning Jirachi's trust isn't a difficult thing to do." I said. I glared at Ash and Gemma. "But if you think frantically yelling its name and running towards it like a pack of Bouffalant will work, then you're going to have a bad time."

"We just found a way that didn't work, that's all." Ash said. "Tomorrow, we'll go to the shrine of the mountain with Jirachi."

* * *

The next morning, we made our way back into the wastelands in search of Jirachi. We split up and searched all day, but we found nothing. For the next few days, our search continued, but we still couldn't find Jirachi.

"Today is day six." Cilan said. "We've only got one more day to find Jirachi."

"You know, Jirachi could've picked up and gone somewhere else. Maybe-" Ash said.

"Don't say that! Jirachi would never, ever leave the mountain! No way!" Gemma said. "But still... what if...? No, we _have_ to find Jirachi by tomorrow!"

Gemma took off down the path.

"Jirachi! _Please_ come out! I'm begging you!" Gemma cried. " _Jirachi_!"

* * *

We returned to Gemma's house when the night fell. Lotus tucked her daughter into bed, and she fell asleep right away.

"She looks completely exhausted." Lotus said.

"I'm not surprised. We've been walking nonstop for the last six days." Cilan said.

"I wish I could help Gemma look for Jirachi, but there are lots of Revival Herbs I still need to plant."

"Revival Herbs? You really grow them here? No joke?" Ash said.

"No joke! My goal is to make the mountain green again and finally bring some life back to this dry land of ours." Lotus said. She looked to the Jirachi statue on the fireplace. "While it's possible Jirachi could make our wishes come true, even so, it's up to us to do what we can to make our own talents and skills. And I do think Gemma agrees with that, too."

"Then why is she so insistent on finding Jirachi?" I said. "What wish could she have that she's willing to spend so long and work so hard looking for the one who could grant it?"

Lotus looked to a picture frame next to the Jirachi statue. "She wants to see her father."

I gripped the white mug in my hands. "Her father?"

Lotus handed us the picture frame of her, Gemma, and a man standing in front of their house.

"My husband, Carlton." Lotus said. "He's been on a journey investigating the source of the spring that used to feed the mountain. You see, there should still be water in the mountain. If he can just get a hold of some ancient records of something, maybe he can find the answer to solve our dilemma. That's what he's aiming for."

"Has he been at this a long time?" Iris said.

Lotus nodded. "It's been almost two years."

"If the mountain can become lush and green again, then all is well, and Gemma's father can come home, and you can all be a family once more." Cilan said. "No wonder Gemma's searching so hard."

I looked up with a scowl. "We have to find Jirachi tomorrow."

My friends all looked at me. "But, Rylee, what if we can't?" Iris said.

"We'll look anyways. We'll do whatever it takes to try and find Jirachi. I know firsthand of what it's like to have your family separated from you. I don't want Gemma to suffer this pain any longer. Even if I drop from exhaustion, if it means I'd be able to find Jirachi, I'll do it. For Gemma."

My friends nodded.

* * *

The next morning, we continued our search. Screaming at the top of our lungs, we looked for Jirachi. We came to a large chasm.

"It seems, no matter how hard we search..." Iris said, then stopped to glance at Gemma. Her shoulders drooped.

"Don't give up, Gemma!" Ash said. "We've still got more time! So let's give it all we got!"

"You're right." Gemma said, her determination returning. "I'm with you! Jirachi, please!"

We all called out for Jirachi one more time. Suddenly, we saw something floating towards us.

"Hi, Jirachi!" Gemma cried, but she took a deep breath and mumbled to herself. She approached the edge of the chasm as Jirachi floated down to her. Gemma clasped her hands in front of her. "You see, it's just... I'd like you to grant me my wish. Please, listen! I want this mountain to be beautiful and green, just like before. I want it filled with life so that everyone can live here happily. So, that's my wish. Won't you please come with me and help?!" Gemma bowed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I beg of you!"

Jirachi floated to Gemma and wiped her tears with its ribbons.

" _Of course._ " Jirachi said.

"You will? Really?! You'll come and help us?" Gemma said. Jirachi nodded. "Thank you."

"Way to go, Gemma!" Ash said.

"Isn't it great? Thank you for your help!"

Suddenly, a large claw shot out and grabbed Jirachi. It yanked it back into a glass container, where Team Rocket stood above us on a cliff.

"How dare you!" Gemma cried. "How could you do that?!"

"It's okay, Gemma. Leave them to us." I said. "We've handled these guys before."

"Amoongus, Hidden Power!"

"Frillish, Shadow Ball!"

Jessie and James called out their Pokémon and they attacked, causing a black smog to fill the air.

"Stun Spore, go!"

Amoongus's stun spore filled the air, hitting Pikachu, Axew, and Zorua. They fell to the ground.

"Zorua!" I called. I ran over and picked her up.

"So long, now!" Jessie said.

"Ta-ta!" James said.

"Looks like it's time for us to jet!" Meowth said.

The three Team Rocket members hopped into their Meowth hot air balloon and took off.

"Jirachi, no!" Gemma cried. She sprinted forward and leaped into the air, snagging one of the engines.

"Gemma!" my friends and I cried.

"Jirachi, I'm here!"

"Small comfort." Jessie said. "Shadow Ball, please."

As Frillish formed a Shadow Ball, Jirachi used Psychic and burst from its container. The hot air balloon came to a stop. Meowth lunged at Jirachi, but it use Swift, which pierced the balloon. As the balloon crashed into the ground, Jirachi used Psychic to bring Gemma back down to us.

"Gemma, that was amazing!" Ash said.

"Thank you, Jirachi!" Gemma said.

" _No problem! Thank_ you _for saving me!_ " Jirachi said.

Jessie, James, and Meowth emerged, panting hard and covered with dirt and grime.

"You like to burst balloons?!" Jessie said.

"Here's how we deal with buffoons!" James said.

As Frillish and Amoongus approached us, Jirachi floated up into the sky and unleashed a heavy rain of blue sparkles.

"Whoa..." I said, holding my hand out. A small, blue sparkle landed in my palm before it absorbed into my skin. "That's Healing Wish!"

The move healed Pikachu, Zorua, and Axew from paralysis. However, it sapped energy from Jirachi, and it fell to the ground.

"Jirachi!" Gemma cried, running over and catching it.

"Axew, Dragon Rage!"

"Pikachu, Electro Ball!"

"Zorua, Shadow Ball!"

The attacks combined and hit Team Rocket, and they launched into the sky. The sun was beginning to set, and we had all gathered around Gemma as she held the unconscious Jirachi.

"Jirachi! Jirachi, please wake up!" Gemma said, her eyes filling with tears.

"That Healing Wish must've used up Jirachi's energy." Cilan said.

A chill swept through my body at the understanding experience. However, when I was in the same situation, it almost cost me my life. My friends were eerily silent as well.

"What do we do, then?" Ash said.

"Bring Jirachi to the mountain shrine." a voice said. We turned around, and Gemma gasped.

"Hi, Daddy!" Gemma cried, her tears flowing in more heavily.

"We've got to hurry, Gemma." Carlton said.

* * *

"According to ancient records, Jirachi can become one with the land and the water beneath it." Carlton said once we reached the mountain shrine. The sun had set, and it was dark. We were reaching the end of the seventh day.

"Wow, become one?" Gemma said.

"Right. So, if Jirachi can receive power from the earth and water, perhaps its body can be healed."

Gemma gently laid Jirachi in the mountain shrine. "Jirachi, please get well. Forget about everything I wish for. All I really want is for you to get better! Please, Jirachi. I wish for you to become completely healed!"

Tears stung my eyes. It felt as if I was witnessing that moment in the White Ruins all over again. That is, I assumed it was similar to what happened; I don't remember anything past the grand battle against my father. Suddenly, Jirachi began to glow, and the entire mountain shrine was filled with light. Jirachi opened its eyes and floated in front of Gemma.

"Jirachi!" Gemma said.

"Hey, it worked!" Ash said.

Ripples of light echoed from the shrine. A nearby rock glowed, and water began to gush from it. We gasped as water filled the area. Jirachi flew up into the air.

"Jirachi's time here is done. It's time for it to return back to sleep." Carlton said.

Gemma smiled. "Jirachi... thank you."

As I watched Jirachi fly away, I took off after it.

"Rylee, where are you going?" Iris called.

I followed Jirachi back to the flowing spring, which was once dry and empty. Jirachi floated to the center of the spring.

"Jirachi!" I called. Jirachi turned around and floated over to me. "Please, before you go, will you grant my wish?"

" _Of course. What is it you desire?_ " Jirachi said.

I reached up and touched my locket. "This journey is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, but now it's starting to come to an end. Once I reach the Kanto region..." I said. Tears filled my eyes. "Please, Jirachi, don't make me have to say goodbye to..."

Jirachi stared intently at me before it smiled. Its ribbons caressed my cheeks and dried my eyes.

" _This wish is not farfetched; a wish that I do not need to grant._ " Jirachi said. " _An eternal goodbye will never escape from your lips._ "

I gasped quietly as Jirachi floated back to the center of the spring. It glowed intensely.

" _Thank you, Rylee._ " Jirachi said.

I smiled. "I should be thanking you. Perhaps we will meet again."

Jirachi nodded, and its ribbons wrapped around its body like a swaddled baby. It morphed into a cluster of crystals and entered the spring.

"Rylee, there you are!" I turned and saw my friends running towards me.

"Jirachi went back to sleep." Cilan said. "But why did you chase after it? What happened?"

I smiled at my friends. "I got my wish."

"How wonderful! Jirachi granted Gemma's wish after all." Lotus said. Carlton wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I mean... all our wishes."

"Yes. Now we can live together as a family again." Carlton said.

"Yes, we can." Gemma said, tears filling her eyes. She ran over and hugged her parents. Watching the happy family walk down the path to their home filled my heart.

I touched my locket. "Maybe we'll have that again too, N." I said. "Someday."

"Perhaps it's not just a wish from a mythical Pokémon that can make miracles happen." Cilan said. "Maybe all it takes is a little action powered by a lot of hope."

"Yeah..." I said. "I feel like Gemma is a lot like me- you know, besides the powers. Watching her plead for Jirachi's well-being reminded me of the White Ruins."

"Iris, Ash, and I thought the same thing. We're glad that both events worked successfully."

"What happened back then, exactly?"

Cilan shoved his hands into his pant pockets. "You remember when you got your locket from Landorus, Tornadus, and Thundurus? When they made that locket, they gave it a blessing. We used the power it contained to bring you back."

"And that's all?"

Cilan smiled to himself, and I knew he was purposefully leaving out information. "There might be some other details hidden in there."

"Oh, I see how it is." I rolled my eyes. "You know, we all said what we would wish for if we had the chance given to us, but you didn't really answer. Did you decide yet?"

"Truth is, I've had a wish for a pretty long time."

"Really? What?"

Cilan looked at me and smiled. "I can't tell you, or else it won't come true. And I'd _really_ like for this wish to come true."

"Of course." I chuckled, then the thought came to me. "Oh, Cilan, I have to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Um... Does the name Mika mean anything to you?"

"Hm... No, it doesn't. Why do you ask?"

"Well, at the beginning of our journey, I had a really strange dream where the name 'Mika' was mentioned. I think the dream was a vision of the future." I blushed deeply. "And... you were in it. In my dream, you're the one who said that name."

"A vision of the future, huh?" Cilan said, and his smile widened. "I guess it's someone we're supposed to meet. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

A giddy chill swept down my back, and I chuckled nervously to cope with it. His sentence structure of "we" made my heart skip with delight. Perhaps what Jirachi said was the truth. Maybe a goodbye really wasn't on my agenda.


	11. Body Snatchers

As nighttime came, we reach the crest of a hill. At the top we sighed in relief at the blaze of city lights below us.

"There's the town!" Iris said. "We'll be at the port soon!"

"Finally! My feet are killing me!" I said.

"There should be a Pokémon Center located in that town. How about we stay there?" Cilan said.

"I'm right with you, Cilan!" Ash said. Pikachu and Axew chattered in agreement.

Something caught our attention above. We looked up as a shooting star zoomed through the sky.

"A shooting star! Wow!" Iris said. She and Axew clasped their hands together and bowed their heads. "This is the perfect time to wish for something..."

"Hey, Iris, look at that!" Ash said.

"Not now, Ash! I need to repeat my wish three times!" Iris said. Her face paled as she realized the shooting star was now zigzagging through the sky, getting closer and closer. "It's coming this way!"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!"

The bright, oval-shaped light dove toward us, and we ran out of the way. It zipped past the hill and over the town. Sparks and fire burst from the light, causing it to tumble around in the air.

"I don't think that was a shooting star." Cilan said as we stood up.

"What gave it away: the sporadic traveling pattern or the _flames_ shooting from it?" I said, brushing the dirt off my dress.

"Let's check it out!" Ash said.

"Are you _nuts_? Haven't you ever seen a horror movie? Rule #1: you _never_ go _towards_ the mysterious glowing object!"

"But what if it's something really cool?" Iris said. She tugged on my arm. "Come on, let's go!"

As my friends dragged me down the path, I looked back on the glowing town that we were running away from. I sighed. _So close._

We maneuvered through the forest and came to a large, open field. Pieces of metal were strewn across the dirt.

"What's that?" Ash said.

"They look like parts for something." Iris said.

"Possibly for a machine." Cilan said, cupping his chin in his hand. I silently prayed he wouldn't spring into "DETECTIVE TIME".

Ash noticed something gleaming in the dirt, and when he walked over and picked it up, it was revealed as a large, golden charm.

"Whoa..." Ash said.

"Must've come from that thing." Iris said.

"Looks like an Amulet Coin to me!" Cilan said.

"Amulet Coin?" Ash said.

"An Amulet Coin is said to bring good luck to whoever possesses one."

"Really? Awesome!"

"You're not going to take into account that you found it among a giant pile of machine parts after we just witnessed a strange... UFO thing?" I said. "Doesn't any of this set your paranoid levels on high?"

"Who cares? I got an Amulet Coin!"

I sighed and shook my head.

* * *

We entered the Pokémon Center and checked into our rooms. I sighed in relief as I flopped down on a bed and kicked my shoes off.

"Thank goodness! My feet have been screaming for miles now!" I said, rubbing one of my feet.

"Yeah, I'm beat!" Iris said.

"I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep." Cilan said. He leaned his head against the back of the couch. "We'll all be back on the boat tomorrow."

Ash stretched and laid down on the bed next to mine. "I haven't slept in a bed in so long!" Ash sat up and took the Amulet Coin out of his pocket. He placed it on the bedside table.

"Shouldn't you turn that in to the Pokémon Center or Officer Jenny?" I said. "Maybe somebody lost it and they're looking for it."

"Maybe I should..." Ash said. "...Tomorrow! But for now, goodnight!"

Ash fell back into the pillows and fell asleep, his back turned to me. I glared at his back and shook my head.

 _What a kid._

* * *

I awoke to strange, blinking sounds in the middle of the night. I opened my eyes and looked around the room. I froze when I saw the shadows of three blinking lights: red, green, and yellow. The shadows blinked slowly and steadily. The lights suddenly intensified, as if another set had appeared. My muscles tensed cautiously, and, very slowly, I reached over and nudged Zorua awake.

" _Mm... what-_ " Zorua said.

"Shh." I said, and I pointed to the blinking shadows.

Zorua looked over, and after studying them, she looked back at me, her eyes filled with a scowl.

" _What is that?_ " she said.

"I don't know... But if it broke into our room, something tells me it's not going to be very friendly." I said.

The shadows were getting closer.

" _Quick, hide under the bed!_ " Zorua said.

We both dropped to the ground and rolled underneath the bed. The lights had moved to my bed, and I could see the blinking shadows right next to us. Zorua whimpered, and I clutched her tightly to my chest. I stroked her fur reassuringly.

 _"Just be calm."_ I said through telepathy.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the shadows had disappeared. Zorua and I both sighed in relief. As I rolled towards the end of the bed, the lights suddenly appeared on that side. Zorua and I both gasped, and I clamped my hands over our mouths. The red, green, and yellow lights blinked steadily, a third of the pace of my racing heart. A line of sweat formed on my forehead, and I'm sure if Zorua was in her human form, she'd be sweating buckets. The lights withdrew from the side of the bed, and after a few more moments, the door closed. Zorua and I waited a few more minutes, just to make sure the coast was clear, before we rolled out from underneath the bed.

" _What_ was _that?!_ " Zorua said.

"I don't know... But something really weird is going on." I said. I cupped my chin in my hands. "First the weird, floating light in the sky, then Ash found the Amulet Coin among all those scraps of metal, and now a mysterious being broke into our room?"

" _You're leading to something._ "

"Of course I am. It's obviously all connected. We need to figure it out."

" _Right behind you!_ "

I walked over to the door and paused. If whatever came in here was still in the building, I couldn't risk going out this way. I turned around and saw the window.

"This way." I said, creeping past my sleeping friends. As I crept past Ash's bed, I stole a glance at his bedside table; the Amulet Coin was still there. I opened the window. "Come on."

Zorua took a running start and leaped out of the window. She turned bright magenta and morphed into a Pidove. I positioned myself on the sill and gently closed the window. My eyes caught on to a tree branch, but it was several feet away. I slowly rose into a crouch and, after a few pumps to gain momentum, launched myself towards the branch. My hands snagged it, and I dangled in the air. I let go and landed crouched on a tree branch below me. I jumped off and landed on the ground. Pidove-Zorua transformed back into herself, and we ran into the streets of the town.

* * *

~TPPOV~

The blinds of the window were thrown open, changing Ash's closed vision from black to red. He grabbed his hat and sprang out of bed, stretching until his back popped several satisfying times.

"Man, I had such a good night's sleep!" Ash said.

"What a beautiful day!" Cilan said, facing towards the window with his back to Ash.

Ash slid his hat on. "Yeah."

"Morning, Ash!" Iris said from the couch.

"Morning, Iris." Ash said as he walked past her. _I wonder where Rylee is. Maybe she took a morning stroll or something._

The hair on Ash's neck rose as he froze in his steps. Did he look at Iris correctly? He turned and looked back at her, and realizing what he really saw, jumped back and cried out.

"What's the matter? Is something wrong with my face?" Iris said, standing up. There indeed _was_ something wrong with her face; it wasn't there! It had been replaced by another, freakier one, with brown skin, green, mask-like eyes, and strange, black lines on its forehead. Axew popped out of Iris's hair, sporting the same face.

"You _bet_ there's something wrong!" Ash cried, jumping back in the direction of Cilan.

"Why are you so upset, Ash?" Cilan said. He turned around and cried out, seeing that the connoisseur had the same freaky mask. "Did you eat something that doesn't agree with you?"

Ash stared at Cilan, flabbergasted. "Hey, cut it out!" he cried. Iris and Cilan grunted in confusion. "Take those off! Those masks look really stupid! Enough already!"

Ash lunged at Cilan and tried to pry the mask off, but it wouldn't budge.

"Hey, that hurts!" Cilan cried, pushing Ash away. "That's my face you're pulling on, you know!"

"Huh?" Ash said. "That's not a mask?!"

"What are you _talking_ about? If anyone's wearing a mask, it's you!"

"What?!"

"Right. Only little kids wear masks." Iris said.

Ash turned around and saw Pikachu. He lifted his head, revealing the _same_ mask!

"Pikachu!" Ash said. He gripped the sides of the mask and tried to pull it off. "Not you, too! I want you to take that off right now! Come on, I want you back to the way you were!"

Pikachu vigorously shook his head, and the mask had disappeared.

"There you are. You had me completely freaked out!" Ash said, hugging Pikachu tightly. "I was so worried about you!"

"Ash..." Iris and Cilan said. They lunged at him, and Ash cried out and took off down the hall. He sprinted to the front desk.

"Nurse Joy! It's an emergency!" Ash said.

"What's wrong? You seem all flustered..." Nurse Joy said. She and Audino turned around, sporting the same mask.

Ash screamed and ran out of the Pokémon Center.

"Officer Jenny, help me!" Ash cried, stumbling over to the police officer. "Everyone's faces have gotten _so_ weird!"

"Weird?" Officer Jenny turned around, and... You can guess what Ash saw. "How weird?"

With another scream, Ash ran throughout the streets of town. _Every_ one wore the strange mask. Ash dove into an alley and peeked out, watching all the freaky-looking people carry on.

"I've seen that face before..." Ash said. He pulled out his Pokédex and searched through it.

 _Beheeyem, the Cerebral Pokémon. Beheeyem can use its psychic powers to control its opponent's minds and memories._

"But why would everyone turn into Beheeyem?" Ash said.

"Hey, you! Twerp!" a voice called. Ash looked forward and gasped when he saw Jessie and James poking out from a manhole.

"You didn't turn into Beheeyem either?" James said.

"Team Rocket!" Ash cried, and a few pedestrians paused to look over.

"SHH!" Jessie and James hissed. They grabbed Ash and pulled him into the sewers, all of them landing hard on the ground.

"All right, did you guys do all of this?"

"Not on your twerpish life!" Jessie said.

"We came here on a Meowth-finding mission, and when we woke up, the whole town had acquired Beheeyem faces!" James said.

"You're not lying?" Ash said.

"We'll save lying for when we need it." Jessie said. She and James reached out their hands to Ash. "A truce?"

Ash hesitated before he shook their hands.

* * *

After carefully lifting the manhole cover off, Ash, Pikachu, Jessie, and James poked their heads out of the sewers and glanced around. Everyone around them had Beheeyem faces.

Pikachu perked his ears up. Knowing that Rylee was the only one who could understand what he was saying, he nudged Ash's ear and pointed forward at a large group of people gathered together.

"Hey, there's something going on." Ash said.

"So it seems." Jessie said.

"Town meeting?" James said.

"Fellow citizens! Thank you for gathering this morning!" Nurse Joy called above the crowd. Audino and Officer Jenny were beside her.

"So, please, join me in welcoming Dr. Beheeyem." Officer Jenny said.

The audience clapped as a Beheeyem floated towards the stage. Ash gasped quietly when he saw Cilan and Iris in the crowd. He scanned the crowd many times, as well as everywhere else, but he still couldn't find Rylee in their midst.

 _Where in the world could she have gone?_

Audino held up a poster, and Beheeyem began to speak, however none of the non-possessed people could understand him. He moved to the side and pointed to what was on the poster: a golden coin. However, it just looked like a yellow blob to Ash, Jessie, and James.

"Wonder what Beheeyem told those people to find." Ash said.

"Can you see what's on that diagram?" Jessie said, leaning forward.

"Negative, it's too far away." James said.

They all tried to lean closer to get a better look, but they lost their balance and fell to the ground. Pikachu cried out as he fell off Ash's head and fell.

The crowd turned.

"It's Ash and Team Rocket." Cilan said.

"Dr. Beheeyem, they were eavesdropping on us!" Iris cried, pointing an accusing finger at the group. Axew chattered angrily.

Beheeyem roared, pointing its flashing hand towards the group.

"Dr. Beheeyem has ordered us to capture those eavesdroppers!" Officer Jenny said.

"As you wish." the group all said simultaneously, sending a frightened chill down Ash's back.

The crowd surged.

"This looks bad!" Ash said.

"What should we do?!" James said, turning to Jessie.

"What we always do: RUN!" Jessie cried, yanking the two boys back into the sewers. A few people fell into the manhole and landed in a groaning pile at the bottom. Ash and the others ran down the tunnel.

"Get them!" the crowd cried, and more people landed into the pile.

Jessie and James lifted up another manhole cover and peeked out.

"Let's hide over there." James said.

Ash, Pikachu, Jessie, and James jumped out and hurried into one of the alleys.

* * *

"We should remain undetected while we're here." James said. Ash, Jessie, James, and Pikachu had hidden inside one of the warehouses.

"I can't figure out why all of those people would turn into Beheeyem." Ash said.

"Perhaps their ultimate goal is to convert the whole _planet_ into a Beheeyem." James said.

"Wait! As in taking over the world?! Come on, that's our job!" Jessie said.

"You're not doing a very good job at that, are you?" a voice said. A hand snagged Ash's shoulder.

Ash screamed and flailed his arms around. A hand pushed him against the pile of boxes while another clamped over his mouth.

"Be quiet, Ash! Do you want to give away our hiding spot?!" a voice hissed, belonging to a face that filled Ash with relief.

"Rylee!" Ash mumbled through her hand. He pulled it off, grabbed her face, and pulled at her cheeks. "You're not a Beheeyem!"

"No, I'm not." Rylee said, prying Ash's hands off. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one who wasn't turned into one."

"But where were you?"

" _Last night at the Pokémon Center, a Beheeyem broke into our room._ " Zorua said. " _We knew something was up, so we've been investigating._ "

"But how were you able to remain undetected by all those Beheeyem people?" James said.

Rylee snapped her fingers and held out her hand as Zorua glowed magenta. She grabbed the light and held it up to her face. The light faded, revealing a Beheeyem face.

"By hiding in plain sight." Rylee said. She tossed the Beheeyem face to the side, and it transformed back into Zorua. "During that rally, I saw you guys blow your cover. However, I was able to find out what they were talking about, and why everyone has turned into Beheeyem."

"Then, tell us!" Jessie said.

"That meteor we all thought we saw last night was actually a Beheeyem flying saucer!" a rough voice said.

"That voice! Could it be?!" James said.

Meowth stepped out from behind Rylee and placed his paws on his hips.

"It's Meowth! Untouched by weirdness!" Jessie said.

"And untouched by Beheeyem-ness!" James said.

"Wait, so you know about this, too?" Ash said. "But how?"

"Because I was _in_ that giant hunk of glowing metal!" Meowth said. "I was out searching for valuable stuff when a bunch of Beheeyem captured me! I was taken inside their ship, and they started messing with me big time! They tried to knock the charm right off of my noodle!"

"But... why?" Jessie said.

"Ash has a good idea." Rylee said. She turned to Ash. "Show everyone the Amulet Coin you found last night."

Ash gulped and pulled out the Amulet Coin. Rylee took it from him and held it up next to Meowth's charm.

"A perfect match!" James said.

"That rally that happened earlier was because they were looking for that coin. They took Meowth because they thought that charm was their coin." Rylee said. She whirled around and threw the coin at Ash. "I _told_ you to turn that stupid thing in! Now look where it's got us!"

"How was I supposed to know everyone would get _possessed_ if I didn't?!" Ash cried. "But that doesn't answer why _we_ didn't get turned into Beheeyem.

" _I figured Rylee and I didn't because we escaped before they could transform us._ " Zorua said. " _However... I'm at a loss with you guys._ "

"What are we supposed to do now?"

"We have to find that flying saucer." Rylee said. "We can return this coin to the Beheeyem and everything will go back to normal."

"Uh-uh! _No_ way, sister!" Meowth cried, taking a step back. "I'd rather not lose my head!"

"But Meowth, the flying saucer could be the key to solving our problems!" James said.

"Hate to break it to you, but that saucer and the town are crawling with Beheeyem and their servants! We won't take two steps without being caught!"

"There's gotta be another way..." Ash said.

" _Wait a minute... what's in that box over there?_ " Pikachu said.

Rylee and Ash walked over to the box and opened it. Meowth jumped inside.

"Well, I'll be a talking Pokémon!" Meowth cried inside the box. He reappeared, holding a cluster of Beheeyem masks. "We'll use these to disguise ourselves among the walking dead!"

"Awesome!" Ash said.

"Twerp wisdom!" Jessie and James said.

* * *

~RYLEE~

We peeked out of the alleyway and at the possessed pedestrians. Everyone had Beheeyem masks on, while I was using Zorua (which, to me, looked a little more realistic).

"Are you ready?" Ash said.

We nodded and entered the street. Ash and I walked side by side with Team Rocket behind us. Ash provided a little too much confidence in his step, and I rolled my eyes.

"Ease up, Ash. These people still know how to walk." I said. Ash blushed sheepishly through his mask and started walking regularly.

"Are you sure this'll work?" James said.

"Not with that attitude. Just act natural."

As we walked, we passed by a lady with an umbrella. One of the umbrella spokes snagged Ash's mask, causing it to slide down and expose his upper face.

" _Ash!_ " Pikachu hissed.

A couple of pedestrians hovered uncomfortably close to Ash. He grabbed his face in surprise and quickly put the mask back on right. A group of people surrounded us. As they lunged, we dove into the alleyway.

"I told you these masks would bust us!" Jessie cried.

"It's all your fault, twerp!" James said.

"Stop complaining and put that energy into running!" I said.

"We've gotta get to the harbor!" Meowth said.

"I hope you're right, Meowth! Are you sure there are flying saucers around here?" Ash said.

"You bet, and this ship is sitting on top of it!" Meowth said as we climb onto one of the ship's docks, belonging to a massive ship.

"That vessel's _huge_!" James said. "How is that even possible?!"

We climbed onto the ship and looked over the railing. Underneath, we saw the faint, glowing silhouette of the flying saucer.

"How do we get inside?" I said.

Meowth led us inside the ship to a glowing hole in the middle of the floor.

"This is what connects the boat to the flying saucer." Meowth said.

"We've got to get them to turn everyone back to normal." Ash said.

I heard Jessie and James mumbling to each other, but I chose to ignore it. It was probably a ridiculous scheme that would backfire in the next five minutes. We jumped through the hole and into the flying saucer. A Beheeyem passed through the halls, and we grabbed it and tied it up.

"No funny business!" Jessie said.

"Keep your wits about you, and you'll be fine." James said. Beheeyem nodded.

"Now, take us to your leaders!" Ash said.

"It's a Pokémon, Ash, not an alien." I said, rolling my eyes. I shot Beheeyem an apologetic glance.

* * *

The Beheeyem took us to the core of the flying saucer, but there was no one there. We threw off our masks, mine turning back into Zorua.

"Show yourselves!" Jessie called.

"We know you're here!" James said.

"Over here." I heard Meowth said.

We turned around and saw Meowth floating midst four Beheeyem. The one we had captured flew away.

"What do you think you're _doing_ , letting yourself be captured?!" Jessie said.

"Not my choice..." Meowth said.

"Beheeyem, please, turn everyone back to normal." I said. "You're only here so you could find that coin, right?"

The Beheeyem conversed with each other quietly.

" _Amazing! Our first human that we have understood!_ " one of them said.

" _True, but what about the others? They speak, but all we hear is noise._ " the other said.

"If you explain yourselves, I can help to translate." I said.

" _We have a better idea..._ " One of the Beheeyem held up its hand in front of Meowth, and it began to glow.

"Oh, no... Not another light show!" Meowth said. His eyes turned red. "Greetings. We are Beheeyem. We are using this Pokémon in order to communicate with you."

"All right then, tell us what you want." Ash said.

"And it better not include taking over the world!" Jessie said.

"We have no interest in taking over the world. Last night, our ship had a major malfunction ad our ship exploded, causing the most important component of our ship to eject from intense force of the blast. We were forced to make a crash landing in the ocean." Meowth said. "We hypnotized every person and Pokémon in this town so they would help us to locate this most important component. As a result, the hypnotized people and Pokémon are convinced that they themselves are Beheeyem, like we are. However, for some unknown reason, a small group of people and Pokémon were totally immune to our hypnotization, and to that group, the hypnotized people and Pokémon curiously have the appearance of being Beheeyem."

"Wow. That's quite an explanation." I said. "Thing is, I know I was immune to it because of the powers I possess. Zorua wasn't either because I warned her, and we were able to escape before any hypnotization was done to us."

"Indeed, Pokémon Guardian." Meowth said, and a chill rushed down my spine. Could Pokémon detect who I was just by a glance?

"Well, if that small group is us, why didn't it have any effect?!" Jessie said.

"I'm afraid idiots are hard to hypnotize."

I gasped and covered my mouth, but still, I couldn't help but bust up laughing. Ash, Pikachu, Jessie, and James stared at Meowth and the Beheeyem with blank stares.

" _IDIOTS?!_ " they all cried.

The Beheeyem cowered behind Meowth.

"One second! What we were attempting to convey to all of you is that _gifted_ people are hard to hypnotize." Meowth said, but I still couldn't stop laughing.

"I see..." Jessie said. "So you're implying we're geniuses."

"Mm-hm... Whatever you say."

"I like these guys." I giggled.

Ash untied the captive Beheeyem. "So, what does this important part of the saucer look like?"

One of the Beheeyem presented a diagram of the golden coin.

"We _have_ that! That is, Ash has it." I said, smacking Ash's arm to cue him in.

"Yeah, I found it last night." Ash said, pulling out the Amulet Coin and handing it to the Beheeyem. They cheered and inserted the coin into a slot, but nothing happened.

"The object you found last night is an Amulet Coin, and although it does appear similar to what we're looking for, it's completely different." Meowth said.

"Huh... I could've sworn this played out differently in my head..." I said.

"It's really that important, huh?" Jessie said.

"It's our ship's only energy source. Once we find it, we'll be able to go back home." Meowth said.

Jessie retreated back and huddled with James. Their secretive whispering annoyed me.

"Whatever you're planning, it's not going to work." I said, crossing my arms. Jessie and James glared at me. I watched James pull out another Amulet Coin, and the Beheeyem went crazy.

"That's it!" Meowth said.

"Let's go!" Jessie cried, grabbing Meowth. He slipped out of her grip and face-planted, which snapped him out of the mind control.

"Where are you going?!" Ash cried as we chased them outside. Team Rocket had retreated into a submarine. "You've gotta give that back to the Beheeyem so they'll change everyone back to normal!"

"Puh-lease! This is one of a kind!" James said. "We'd be crazy to give this to them!"

"Hey, don't you remember? We made a deal!"

"Consider this a deal-breaker." Jessie said, closing the submarine hatch.

"Then you _lied_!"

"And you're surprised?" I said.

Ash sent Pikachu after them, and he shot Thunderbolt at their submarine. It exploded, sending Team Rocket blasting into the sky. I reached out and caught the Amulet Coin as it fell.

"Here," I said, handing it to the Beheeyem, "this belongs to you."

The Beheeyem cheered over their returned power source.

"Now, would you _please_ turn everyone back to normal? No offense, but seeing your faces on my friends really creeps me out."

" _Of course! Thank you for helping us!_ " the Beheeyem cried.

* * *

Ash and I stood on the docks as the flying saucer burst from the water.

" _Thank you again, Pokémon Guardian and friend!_ " the Beheeyem called.

"You're welcome! Have a safe trip!" Ash called as he and I waved.

The flying saucer took off into the sunset sky.

"Hey, Ash! Rylee!" a voice called.

"There you guys are!" another voice said.

Ash and I turned around and saw Iris and Cilan running towards us.

"What are you two doing out here?" Iris said.

"When we couldn't find you at the Pokémon Center, we got worried." Cilan said.

"Your faces are back to normal!" Ash said. "You guys look awesome!"

"Um... what? Back to normal?" Iris said.

"What a strange thing to say!" Cilan chuckled.

"You mean you guys don't remember anything that happened today?" I said. "Your faces looked like Beheeyem!"

Axew emerged from Iris's hair with a Beheeyem mask on. Ash screamed and stumbled back, losing his footing on the edge of the dock. I rushed over and caught his hand, yanking him back to land before he could fall in. Axew took off the mask, and Iris, Cilan, and I laughed. Soon, Ash joined in.


	12. Picture This

The next island we docked in was called Harvest Island, which I was completely relieved. I'd rather be back on Honey Island with all those Beedrill swarms rather than spend another minute in the weirdness of Capacia Island.

"Harvest Island is world-famous for the abundance of fresh berries you can pick yourselves, and as luck would have it, today seems to be the day of the Grand Harvest Festival." Porter said.

"Festival?" Iris said.

"Sounds awesome! What happens at the festival?" Ash said.

"Freshly picked berries are sold and used to make delicious foods. Locals only make the best. For that reason, it seems to be a popular event." Porter said.

"We've gotta go check it out!"

"He just had to mention food, and you'd be all in." I said.

* * *

"The Grand Harvest Festival." Ash marveled. "It's gonna be great!"

"I just love festivals! When I lived in the Village of Dragons, I looked forward to them every year!" Iris said. "Hey, Cilan, how much longer is it before we get there?"

"Let me see..." Cilan said, pulling out his map. "It appears to be in that forest up ahead."

"All right!"

We heard panting cries behind us, and when we turned, a yellow and black Pokémon scurried towards us.

"What's that?" Ash said.

When the Pokémon got close enough, it saw us, screamed, and tried to run the other way. It looked around frantically.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Ash said. He pulled out his Pokédex.

 _NO DATA._ The Pokédex said.

"What? No way!" Iris said. "It's not listed in the Pokédex?"

"Guess not. Wonder what that means..." Ash said.

"It may be that it's not a Pokémon from Kanto or Unova." Cilan said.

"Well, who cares? All I care about it catching it!"

"Ash!" I called, but Ash ran past us towards the Pokémon.

"Hey, there!" Ash said. The Pokémon jumped in fright. "You wanna have a battle?"

Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder. The Pokémon cowered, and its ears fanned out.

"Ash, that doesn't look good!" I said.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu charged up its attack.

"No, wait! Don't do that!" A woman ran towards us. She had dark green eyes and brown hair. She wore a red top with black three-quarter sleeves and a white collar, gray jeans tucked inside brown boots, and a brown belt with a pack clipped to the back.

"Huh?!" Ash cried.

The Pokémon turned around and launched a powerful bolt of thunder. It hit the ground in front of Ash and Pikachu, causing them to fly back.

"Ash, are you all right?" Cilan said as we rushed to his side.

"I'm so sorry." the woman said, scooping the Pokémon into her arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... What was that?" Ash said.

"I'm sorry. This little one scares easily. That's what it does when it feels cornered."

"We've never seen that Pokémon before. What region is it from?" I asked.

"It's from the Kalos region, my home. It's a Helioptile."

"The Kalos region?" Cilan said. "No wonder we've never seen it before!"

A large, goat-like Pokémon approached us. Axew hid inside Iris's hair.

"Is that from the Kalos region, too?" I said.

"It is. This is Gogoat." the woman said. "My name is Alexa. Helioptile was startled when a Patrat jumped out of the grass, so I was searching for it when I saw you."

She paused to study Pikachu.

"Is something wrong?" Ash said.

"There's something different about this Pikachu." Alexa said. "You see, I travel all around the world and see a lot of Pokémon. There's something special about this Pikachu."

"You travel the _world_?" Iris said.

Alexa pulled out a video headset and put it on. She pointed the camera at Ash and Pikachu.

" _What the...?_ " Pikachu said.

"Great! I like this shot!" Alexa said.

"Does that mean you're a...?" Cilan said.

"You're talking to a Pokémon journalist!" Alexa said. "I'm a magazine writer and photographer. I work for lots of magazines. Oh, right!"

Alexa opened one of the bags strapped to Gogoat and rummaged through. Gogoat sighed and gestured to the other pack.

"Oh, yeah! I forgot I packed it in the other bag!" Alexa cried, running to the other side. Gogoat rolled his eyes. "I'm so sorry! My organization skills are totally bad! I forget where I put things _all_ the time!"

Alexa pulled out a magazine. "Please, take a look. This is an example of the type of magazine I write for."

Alexa handed the magazine to Cilan.

"Say, this is a magazine that shows Pokémon in their natural habitat." Cilan said, skimming through the pages.

"Wow, that's the coolest thing!" Ash said.

"You'd have to be _really_ incredible to be able to write articles like this!" Iris said.

Alexa smiled. "All I want is to give people the opportunity to see what Pokémon are really like living in the wild, that's all!"

"You must be out here to work on another article, then." I said.

"That's right. I'm covering the Pokémon Sumo Competition at the Grand Harvest Festival. In fact, it's the festival's main event. Do you know why the festival started in the first place?"

"It's a festival that celebrates the berry harvest, right?" Ash said.

"Yes, it is, but there's more. It's actually an ancient legend. A long time ago, there was an abundance of berries. Both people and Pokémon lived together happily and comfortably. But at some point, everyone decided that they wanted more than their fair share of the berries, so they tried to take it all for themselves, and quarrels broke out. The quarrels left the forest a barren wasteland, and most of the berries eventually disappeared. Finally, with one last berry tree left, the two strongest Pokémon had a battle. It was a fierce battle indeed, but it ended without a winner. And that's when one of the village children came running to them and said, 'If you share what you have with everyone, it's even more delicious!' and handed them halves of the berry. And so, the forest gradually returned to the way it was, and the berries have tasted more delectable than ever! Or so they say. Now they make sure the forest is always protected, and they always have this festival, thanking nature for the gifts they received."

"But why do they put on a Pokémon Sumo Competition?" Ash said.

"It began as a way to recreate the battle from the past between the two strongest Pokémon, but now it's enjoyed like any other sport."

"What a fascinating tale!" Cilan said. "Remembering important events from their past while celebrating the present! That certainly is a recipe for pure delight!"

"Sure is!" Ash said. "And that Pokémon sumo stuff? I once entered a Pokémon Sumo Competition, and it was a lot of fun!"

"Then, why don't you enter this competition, too?" Alexa said.

"Really? I can join?"

"You sure can. Anybody that wants to can enter."

We arrived at the Grand Harvest Festival, filled with bright colors and excitement from attendees.

"I'm gonna enter, too!" Iris said. She turned to Ash. "You don't mind if I enter, do you?"

"In that case, I might as well sign up, too!" Cilan said. "Festivals are always fun when many people enter as possible! Are you going to enter, Rylee?"

"I don't know if you guys could handle my awesome Pokémon. Small things can pack a big punch." I said, Zorua giggling on my shoulder. "I'll be a spectator. But good luck to all of you."

"Looks like we're rivals!" Ash said.

"You're all looking wonderful!" Alexa said, her camera pointed on us. "Remember: the goal is to have fun!"

* * *

Ash, Iris, and Cilan registered for the Sumo Competition: Ash using Pignite, Iris using Dragonite, and Cilan using Pansage. While we waited for the competition to start, we decided to try some of the food here.

"Look at all this awesome food!" Ash cried, his mouth watering like a faucet. "I don't know where to start!"

He ran over to a stand, gawking at the pastries displayed on the stand.

"Excuse me, I'd like-"

A giant, purple-haired boy shoved Ash aside, knocking him to the ground.

"I want that one!" the boy said, pointing to the same pastry.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Ash said. "I wanted that and you knocked me down!"

"Kid, you're crazy! This is _my_ pie!" the boy said.

"I was here first, and I want that pie!"

"First come, first serve! You lose on this one!"

"What'd you say?!"

"Ash, it's okay. It's just a piece of pie-" I said.

"Stay out of this, princess!" the boy snapped.

I gasped, and my eyes flared. "Ex- _cuse_ me?!" The boy took off with the pie. "Hey, you get back here!"

"Easy there, Rylee." Cilan said as he and Iris held me back.

"Don't worry about a little kid like him." Iris said.

I huffed a deep breath. "Fine... I need some pie."

* * *

After choosing our pastries, we rested at a bench and ate. Alexa needed to recharge her headset, so after going through another disorganized moment, she used Helioptile to direct its electrical energy into a solar panel, which quickly charged her headset. Fireworks burst in the sky, indicating the beginning of the Sumo Competition, so we headed over. The first match was between a Golurk and a really weird-looking Golem.

"That's the strangest looking Golem I've ever seen." Cilan said, supporting my thoughts.

"I haven't seen an incredibly weird Pokémon since that Dewott competition..." I said. The thought dawned on me, and I facepalmed with a groan.

"What is it, Rylee?" Iris said.

"Give it a couple of minutes. You'll figure it out." I sighed.

The Golurk approached the Golem, who looked ready to wet its rocks.

"Hey, it's that kid!" Ash cried, referring to the purple kid from before.

"Oh, boy." I said. "I'm rooting for the Golem in this one."

"Now, Golurk, let's go!"

Golurk lunged and slammed its and into Golem. It flew back and slammed into its trainers, and the Golem disguise came off, revealing Meowth, as the Team Rocket member blasted off into the sky. I merely sighed and shook my head.

"That Golurk sure is strong." Ash said.

"There's a very good chance it might win this competition." Cilan said.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that! Don't forget Dragonite's really strong!" Iris said.

"Don't count us out!"

"I don't wanna lose to that guy! Let's beat him, Pignite!" Ash said.

As the competition went on, Dragonite was disqualified for touching its tail against the ground, and Pansage was knocked off the stage. The finals came, and it was Ash against the purple-haired kid, Rodney.

"We're not gonna lose this." Ash said. Rodney chuckled. "You're not gonna be laughing for long!"

"I stopped you once from getting in my way, and I'll do it again!" Rodney said.

"Oh, yeah?!"

"Come on, will you cut out all the little kid talk?!" Iris said.

"I think this is the perfect place to settle this. At least in sumo, you have to follow the rules." Cilan said.

"I don't care! He called me princess!" I cried. "Kick his butt, Ash!"

The finals were intense, and in the end, Ash and Pignite had won. Their prize was a Focus Band and a giant crate filled with berries. As a token of friendship, Ash shared a berry with Rodney.

"I like when things end in a nice way." Cilan said.

"Food works every time. That's Ash for you." Iris said.

"Let's not forget it was food that got him into this mess." I said.

* * *

"Wow, so you guys are taking a cruise back to the Kanto region?" Alexa said after we left the festival.

"Yeah, we are. What about you?" Ash said.

"Believe it or not, I'm going to Kanto on a cruise ship, too! That's gotta mean we'll be on the same ship!"

"That's great!" Iris said.

"That means we'll all be traveling together for a while!" Cilan said.

"Maybe we can learn more about your Kalos Pokémon." I said. I reached my hand out to Helioptile. Immediately it cowered, but after a few moments it gazed at my hand curiously. It smiled and mine between its tiny hands.

"Wow, Helioptile's never opened up to someone besides me before. And so quickly!" Alexa said.

I chuckled. "I guess I've got a way with Pokémon."


	13. Attack of the Pirates 2

The next morning, we greeted Alexa as we came closer to Fraund Island, our next stop. Alexa showed us a treasure map, to which my friends freaked out like little girls.

"I still can't believe it!" Ash said, staring at the map and the code that laid side-by-side on a table. "That's a real treasure map?"

"It sure is!" Alexa said. "See, I went to a pirate museum to write an article a while back. There was an exhibit about a pirate ship that had been detected at the bottom of the ocean, along with many onboard treasures and the pirate who was its captain. He traveled with several Pokémon."

"A _real_ pirate?" Iris said.

"Right! He traveled with a Shiftry, Nidoking, Mismagius, and Honchcrow, and always had a Vulpix perched on his shoulder. According to legend, he hid his Pokémon-related treasures on one of the Decolore Islands."

"What kind of treasures did he hide?" Ash said, his eyes sparkling with fascination.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find out." Alexa said, and Ash's shoulders slumped. "As a Pokémon journalist, I couldn't resist learning everything I could on Pokémon treasure. I began my research and eventually uncovered this map the pirate left behind, which contains a mysterious secret code. The map points to a small island near Fraund Island, which just happens to be our next stop!"

"Treasure hunting on a deserted island! That sounds delectable!" Cilan said.

"It would be awesome if you'd let us go with you! Searching for treasure sounds fun!" Iris said.

"I can't wait to find out what the treasure is." I said, my mind swirling with gold coins and jewelry. "I call dibs on the really valuable stuff!"

"But what if it's _all_ valuable?" Ash said, and I shot him a wink and laughed.

* * *

Once we docked, we hopped in a cruiser and headed for the island. Alexa slipped on her video headset.

"9:00 AM; arrival at the island." Alexa said into the microphone.

"Look at those cliffs!" Ash said, straining his neck to try and see over them.

"According to the map, there's a passageway somewhere that leads inlet."

Alexa steered the boat around the island until we found a small passage. As we headed toward it, a giant whirlpool suddenly appeared.

"Everyone hold on!" Alexa cried.

The boat plunged into the whirlpool and took us around in a tight, sharp circle. We all slammed into each other as the boat continued to swirl.

* * *

Once we had come to, the boat was calmly cruising down the passageway.

"What _was_ that?" I said. "That whirlpool came out of nowhere!"

"I'm glad we got out of that in one piece." Alexa said.

"And before I lost my breakfast." Ash groaned, clutching his stomach.

"That was really scary." Iris said.

"Wow, I can't believe we made it through that." Cilan said.

I glanced back down the passage, but I saw nothing.

"10:25 AM." Alexa said into her headset. "Endured a giant whirlpool at the opening of the island inlet. It was as though it was trying to keep us from getting inside!"

The passage was narrow, with towering, jagged cliffs on both sides.

"This is like a maze." Iris said as Alexa carefully steered the boat through.

A cry echoed in the air, causing Helioptile to freak out. As Alexa calmed it down, I looked up and saw three Honchcrow perched on a branch. They glared at us as we drew nearer.

"Why does it feel like they're staring at us?" Iris whispered.

"Maybe it's a Honchcrow evaluation." Cilan chuckled.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that to lighten the mood after we almost drowned." I said, keeping a close eye on the Honchcrow. One of them flew away.

We exited the passageway into an open body of water.

"According to the map, we should be close." Alexa said, reading the secret code.

"Hey, look!" Ash said, directing our attention to a giant pirate ship docked on the shore.

"11:05 AM; we discovered a beached vessel believed to be the pirate ship!" Alexa said after we docked.

Pikachu approached the pirate ship and tapped the side with his tail. Suddenly, the wood around it broke off and fell to the ground.

" _Oops._ " he said.

"This ship is in really bad shape." Iris said.

"I guess it's a _boat_ time this ship started to crumble. I guess it gave in to _pier_ pressure." I said. Ash laughed beside me. I glanced at Cilan and he rolled his eyes.

"Let's go check it out!" Ash said.

"Maybe that's not such a good idea, Ash. That place is teeming with danger." Cilan said.

"It'll be fine! We'll never find the treasure if we're scared off by a teensy, little thing!" Iris said.

"In case you haven't noticed, that 'teensy, little thing' is a eighty-ton pirate ship." I said. "I'll choose to live over some treasure."

"Oh, come on, you two! Stop being such little kids!" Iris said, tugging on my arm while Ash tugged on Cilan's arm. "Let's go find that treasure!"

Cilan and I glanced at each other and sighed as Iris and Ash dragged all of us into the pirate ship. Just as we thought, as soon as we took two steps inside, the ship rumbled and lurched, causing us to tumble into the wall.

"What's happening?!" Iris said.

"Quick, we've got to get out of here!" Alexa said as the ship started moving.

We sprinted out of the ship and watched as it was pulled into the ocean and sunk.

" _What_ did I tell you?" I said, crossing my arms and ignoring Iris's glare.

"Guess that means the treasure's gone." Ash said glumly.

" _Wait a minute..._ " Pikachu said, looking back to where the ship once was. " _Look at that!_ "

We saw a stone door with many tiles, each displaying a strange symbol.

"This must be the way to the treasure." Alexa said, pulling out the map's secret code. "It looks like we have to decipher this code, which should open that door."

"But none of the symbols on the map match the ones on the door. So, how are we supposed to decode it?" Cilan said.

As Alexa contemplated, Ash approached the door. I heard him grunt in confusion, and when I looked, I watched him push in one of the empty tiles, causing the one above it to slide down.

"Check it out! These stones slide around!" Ash said.

"Oh! It's just like back at the White Ruins!" I said. "You just have to slide around the tiles until they match what's on the paper! Alexa, let me see the code."

Alexa handed me the paper, and I studied it, comparing it closely to the door.

"Zorua." I said, and she immediately jumped off my shoulder and transformed into her human form. I instructed her on where to move the blocks, and after a long while, we finally completely the puzzle.

"Way to go, Rylee! Great job!" Iris said.

Suddenly, the door rumbled and crumbled, revealing a staircase. We ran up the stairs and into a forest.

"Hold on... Where _are_ we?" Ash said as we looked around.

"1:15 PM; at the top of the staircase is a-" Alexa said.

Suddenly, a barrage of Hidden Powers landed right in front of us. We looked up and saw two Mismagius hovering above the dust.

"Hey, what was that for?!" Iris called.

The two Mismagius shot Shadow Balls at us and we dropped to the ground as they sailed over us and into the tunnel. Ash and Iris called out Snivy and Dragonite. They attacked the Mismagius to distract them while we ran down the path. As we ran, we heard frightened cries coming from trembling shrubbery. A small group of Eevee burst from the bushes and ran away as a Nidoking chased after them.

"Hey!" I cried as the Nidoking inched closer to the Eevee, who had been pinned in a corner. I ran over and stood between it and the Eevee with my arms stretched out to the sides. "Don't you know it's wrong to pick on others?!"

Nidoking growled at me, and I glared at him with glowing eyes. After a brief stare-down, Nidoking grunted and retreated back into the forest. I turned back to the three Eevee.

"Are you all right?" I said, dropping to my knees to better level myself with them.

The Eevee cheered and gathered around my lap. I laughed and pet their heads.

"That gives me an idea..." I said, and I detached my Eevee's PokéBall from my necklace. I let her out, and she approached the others. They paused a moment to examine her gray fur before they smiled and chattered. "So, why was that Nidoking chasing after you?"

The Eevee stopped and whimpered at the memory.

"It might've been for food." Cilan said, crouching down next to me and laying out a small handkerchief filled with food. "Here, try this."

The three Eevee approached the food and, after cautiously sniffing it, happily gobbled it up.

"They were hungry, all right!" Ash said.

Axew offered the Eevee some berries, which they gratefully accepted. The joyous scene enticed Helioptile to join us. Soon, both Axew and Helioptile had two Eevee playfully chasing after them.

"What do you know? Helioptile isn't afraid of them one bit!" Alexa said.

"The smiles on their faces are satisfaction enough." I said. "Pokémon are amazing, aren't they?"

Alexa pulled out the secret code. "This looks like a mountain, right?" she said, pointing out a strange trapezoid with a star on the top and what looked like a staircase leading up to it. "It looks like there's a symbol on the top. I'm guessing that's where we need to go."

"Wow, we're almost there!" Iris said.

The three Eevee and mine approached us.

" _These guys say they want to come with us._ " my Eevee said.

"Really?" I said. The Eevee cheered, and their adorableness made my heart melt. "How could we say no? Eevee, you'll look after them, right?"

"You too, Axew." Iris said, and the two Pokémon nodded.

We continued down the path. As we walked, Helioptile perched itself on Alexa's shoulders and desperately covered its ears.

"Helioptile, what's wrong?" Alexa said.

A barrage of Razor Leaf zoomed towards us and we jumped out of the way. A Shiftry burst from the trees, looking anything but happy.

"It's a Shiftry! Look out!" Ash called.

Shiftry launched Bullet Seed at us, and Ash called out Pignite, commanding it to use Flamethrower to cancel out the move. Axew used Dragon Rage, which made contact. Shiftry retreated back into the trees, only to appear seconds after with two more.

"Three of them?!" I cried. "Zorua, used Shadow Ball!"

Zorua jumped off my shoulder and shot a Shadow Ball right in front of the Shiftry, creating a thick fog of dust.

"Now's our chance! Let's go!" I said, and we ran down the path.

After running until we were comfortable with the distance between us and the deranged Shiftry, we collapsed on the path to catch our breath.

"Why are all these Pokémon attacking us?!" Iris said.

"They just won't quit!" Ash said.

"There's gotta be a reason why all these Pokémon are so angry!" Cilan said.

I gasped and sat up. "Wait a second... What kinds of Pokémon did we run into while we were here?"

"First we saw Honchcrow..." Ash said.

"And then Mismagius and Nidoking..." Cilan said.

"And just now, a Shiftry." Iris said.

Alexa gasped. "Of course! The same Pokémon who were in the pirate gang! This island must've been their secret hideout!"

"I guess they're not happy at all with us being here." I said. "Maybe they're protecting the treasure."

"But how come we haven't run into a Vulpix yet?" Iris said.

"Bet we will if we just keep hanging out." Ash said.

* * *

After taking a short break, we headed towards the top of the mountain. At the top were five stone pillars, four with statues of Honchcrow, Shiftry, Mismagius, and Nidoking. The pillars were connected by lines, ultimately creating a star in the dirt.

"We're all relieved to have finally reached the mountaintop. We've also found statues!" Alexa said in her headset.

"They're all of the pirate Pokémon." Cilan said, studying the Honchcrow statue.

"But how come there's no Vulpix statue?" Iris said, pointing at the empty pillar.

"I'll guess these statues are holding some sort of secret." Alexa said, scanning the area. Once the camera panned back to us, she gasped. "Everyone, behind you!"

We looked back and saw a Ninetales on the empty pillar. It lifted its head back and shot Flamethrower at us. We ran out of the way.

"Ninetales?!" Cilan said.

"Of course! Ninetales is the evolved form of Vulpix!" I said as Ash scanned it with his Pokédex. "I guess we finally found the pirate's main partner-in-crime!"

Ninetales shot Energy Ball, creating a thick haze that blasted in our faces.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

Charizard attacked, but Ninetales dodged it, jumping away from the empty pillar, landing on the Honchcrow statue, and shooting another Energy Ball, this time making direct contact with Charizard.

"Are you okay, Charizard?" Ash said. "Use Dragon Tail!"

Charizard attacked with his glowing blue tail, but it phased right through Ninetales as it used Double Team, surrounding Charizard. All six of them used Flamethrower.

"Dodge, and use Slash on the real Ninetales!"

Identifying the real Ninetales, Charizard lunged and landed its attack on it, then used Dragon Tail, which rocketed the Fox Pokémon into the forest. Alexa brought out the secret code again.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Alexa grumbled, comparing the paper to the actual star.

"I sure don't see any treasure here." Ash said.

"Is it possible there are other clues, and we just haven't seen them?" Cilan said.

"This is all we have." Alexa said.

I heard the Eevee cheering, and I looked and saw Axew digging in the star outline. The dirt cleared, revealing a trench. Ash called out Oshawott and had it use Hydro Pump to clear out the dirt. As the water pulsed through the trench, it cruised along the lines, and when it reached the statues, it pushed them back. The water met at the point of the empty pillar, and as it beat against it, the Ninetales statue appeared. When the water stopped, there was a hole in the empty pillar, with a staircase leading down into darkness.

"Think that's where the treasure is?" Ash said.

"Yes, this must be it!" Alexa said.

"Wait just a treasure-hunting minute!" a voice said, and we turned around and saw Team Rocket.

"Don't you have anything better to do than follow us around?" Iris said. "Are your lives _really_ that boring?"

"Sorry to inform you, twerps, but we were here first!" Jessie said, performing a "neener-neener" face.

"That treasure belongs to Team Rocket, and none other!" James said.

"Losers come in last, and you're really good at that!" Meowth said.

"Okay, and how many times have we seen you 'blasting off again'? Emphasis on _again_?" I said.

"Enough sass, you brats!" Jessie said. "Woobat, let's go!"

"You too, Yamask!" James said.

But when they called out their Pokémon, they were bruised and exhausted. Jessie and James immediately returned their Pokémon back to their PokéBalls.

"Now, where were we?" Ash said. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

We watched Team Rocket blast off once again. We headed down the staircase and through the dark cavern. Our only source of light was from Alexa's flashlight.

"It's really spooky in here." Iris said, holding on to my arm.

"Just watch where you step." Cilan said in my other ear.

Finally, at the end, a large ray of light descended on a treasure chest. Alexa opened it, and inside were an array of evolution stones.

"So, that explains all the Pokémon on this island; they were all able to use these stones!" Ash said.

"Right, and evolution stones were more precious in the past than they are now." Cilan said.

"All those Pokémon we ran into were protecting this treasure." I said.

The three Eevee approached the stones. Each of them touched one: a Fire Stone, a Water Stone, and a Thunder Stone, evolving them into Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon, respectively. As Alexa recorded the scene, Helioptile prodded for her attention.

"What's wrong, Helioptile?" Alexa said.

" _Look._ " it said.

The three Eevelutions sat in a row, all staring at Alexa with glistening eyes. They each turned their eyes to me. I understood and smiled, taking a step next to them.

"Alexa, they want you to..." I said.

"Of course." Alexa said, taking off her headset. "I'm deleting all footage of this place."

"Delete it? But why?" Iris said.

"Out of respect for all the Pokémon living on this island." Alexa said.

"This is their home." I said. I shot them my friends a wink. "This place will be our little secret."

* * *

As we climbed out of the cave, we saw all the pirate Pokémon standing there, waiting for us.

"You were just trying to protect the evolution stones, weren't you?" Cilan said, and they all nodded.

"Don't worry about this place; it'll be a treasured place in our hearts like it is for you." I said. "I promise that it'll always be yours."

The Pokémon continued to stare at us, but I did notice the tension between us relax. Ninetales nodded.

" _Thank you._ " Ninetales said.

* * *

We returned to the boat and rode out of the island, back to Fraund Island.

"An island which is guarded by Pokémon who evolved from the island's treasure!" Cilan said.

"I hope they can keep on living there peacefully." Iris said.

"With a security force as strong as theirs, I'm very certain of that." I said.


	14. Dragonheart

"Look! There's the next island!" Iris cried, tugging on my arm and pointing excitedly.

"You'd think after we've been to so many islands, you'd be used to this." I said.

"I'm excited for all the adventures we'll have while we're there!"

"As if they haven't been crazy enough." Cilan chuckled. "Starting this cruise with a capsizing ship and three Beedrill attacks wasn't what I had in mind."

"This next island is called Cave Island." Porter said. "It's named after the massive cave that can be found on the island."

"Right! And that's not all!" Alexa said, popping out from behind Porter. "It's said that quite an impressive variety of Pokémon also live in that cave!"

"I'm sure you're planning on shooting a lot of videos." Cilan said.

"Of course!"

"Then let's check out that cave as soon as we dock!" Ash said.

* * *

As we walked off the boarding ramp, Alexa took off immediately so she could collect the recording equipment she needed.

"Well, there she goes..." Iris said as we watched her leave on top of Gogoat.

"And our only chance of finding out where the cave is." Cilan said. "Unless your powers also include a GPS system."

"I wish." I said.

"Dragonite, where are you? Please come out here!" a woman called. She had long, blue hair tied back in a ponytail, a blue jumpsuit, blue gloves, and a black cape.

"Whoa, it's Clair!" Ash said, running over to the woman. "Hey, Clair!"

"Wow, hi, Ash!" Clair said.

"It's so cool that you still remember me!"

"Well, how could I forget? I owe you for stopping my Dragonite when it was on a terror using Outrage."

"I'm guessing you know this woman?" I said.

"This is Clair, and she's the gym leader at the Blackthrone City Gym." Ash said. He introduced us.

"If I remember, the Blackthrone City gym is the Dragon-type gym in the Johto region, right?" Iris said, her eyes aglow.

"Right! You know you're stuff."

"She is the ultimate Dragon-type fangirl." I said, and Iris elbowed my arm.

"So, what are you doing here?" Ash said.

"I'm here on a Dragon-type mission: to catch a Druddigon of a different color!" Clair said.

"A different color? You mean a shiny Pokémon?" I said.

"I guess that's one of its terms, but yes. We were getting ready to leave for the cave, but true to form, Dragonite suddenly flew away! I'm still waiting for it to come back."

"We can help you find it." Iris said.

We called out Charizard, Dragonite, and Articuno.

"So, you've got a Dragonite as well!" Clair said to Iris.

"That's right! Dragonite's another special partner of mine!" Iris said, hugging Dragonite's arm.

We sent our flying Pokémon out to find Clair's Dragonite. We followed them to a large meadow, where we waited until they returned. A few minutes later, only Articuno and Charizard had returned.

"You found Dragonite?" Ash said, and they nodded.

"But where's mine?" Iris said.

" _That's the thing._ " Articuno said.

"Looks like Dragonite might've caused some trouble with... Dragonite." I said, going cross-eyed with confusion.

We followed Charizard and Articuno deeper into the meadow, where we saw Iris's and Clair's Dragonites wrestling.

"Dragonite, stop!" Iris cried.

"Charizard, break those two up!" Ash said. Charizard flew over and tried to pry the two away, but they shoved him back.

"I'm getting the feeling Charizard's going to get dragged into the fight!" Cilan said.

"Hey!" Clair cried, and she and Iris ran over and stood in between their Pokémon. As the two growled at each other, Clair glanced over her shoulder. "Oh... now I know why they're fighting. Look there."

We followed her finger to a single flower that had been uprooted, its leaves detached from the stem. Clair's Dragonite picked up the flower and whimpered at it. Iris's Dragonite looked at it with regret.

"My Dragonite loves flowers. That's what this is all about. When that flower got stepped on, it got mad." Clair said.

"You know, I remember your Dragonite got really outraged over a meadow of flowers the last time we meet, too." Ash said.

"Although, there's something sweet about such an affection for flowers, don't you think?" Cilan said, stepping forward. "I've got a hunch that your Dragonite is a female, correct?"

"That's right." Clair said.

"The thing is, Iris's Dragonite is a male."

"Right... but what's that mean?" Iris said.

"Put on your thinking cap! Have you forgotten I'm a Film Connoisseur?!"

"Of course. Your girlish shrieks back in Virbank City are still etched in my brain." Ash said, wincing at the thought.

"It's classic boy-meets-girl! When they first meet, they have a terrible fight, but after overcoming a difficult challenge, a strong bond is created between them! There is no greater love story in the world! You know what that means! Our two star-crossed sweethearts are falling in love before our eyes!"

"Uh... Cilan, don't you think that's a bit farfetched?" I said, sweatdropping. "Like you said, it all happens in the _movies_."

 _"Rylee, you're blushing."_ Zorua said. I batted her off my shoulder, and she giggled at my red cheeks.

Iris and Clair rolled their eyes. Since we had Clair's Dragonite back, we started our quest to find the shiny Druddigon.

"The cave entrance is deep inside this forest." Clair said, directing our attention to a giant mountain far down the path.

"Yes!" Ash cried, pumping his fists in the air. "Exploring caves is so cool!"

"Just yesterday, getting to that treasure cave meant being attacked by a bunch of pirate Pokémon." I said. "Are you sure you want to stick to that statement?"

A bush rustled violently nearby, and a horde of Pokémon burst through, shoving their way past us and down the path: a Drillbur, two Roggenrolas, two Woobats, a Venipede, and two Foongus.

"Those must be some of the Pokémon that live in the cave." Clair said.

"They didn't look very happy." Cilan said.

"You're right. Something must be going on in there. Let's have a look."

* * *

We arrived at the cave, but the entrance had been barricaded with a large door.

"Who blocked this off?!" Ash said.

"We've got to get this out of the way! Dragonite, let's go!" Clair said.

"Dragonite, you too!" Iris said.

They both called out their Dragonites. As they reached out to lay their hands on the door, their hands accidentally touched. They quickly recoiled and growled at each other.

"We'll handle this! Charizard, I choose you!" Ash called. "Give the Dragonite a little help!"

Charizard flew over to the Dragonite, but they shoved him back, just like the first time.

" _I was here first!_ " Iris's Dragonite said.

" _Well, beauty before age! Now get out of my way!_ " Clair's Dragonite said.

" _Hey, you two, enough!_ " Charizard said, walking back over.

The two Dragonite kicked him in the stomach, sending him back.

"Uh... maybe we should leave this to the Dragonite." Ash said, returning Charizard back to its PokéBall.

The Dragonite growled, and through their angry and fierce competition, they managed to pry the door off.

"You know... that door looks really familiar." I said as it laid next to me. "Have we seen it before?"

Iris stared at the door carefully. "Now that you mention it, it does. But where?"

Cilan tapped his finger against his chin. "Oh, I remember! Back when we went to Chargestone Cave, there was a door just like this one blocking the entrance!"

"And do you remember who was the one that put it there?" I said. After a few seconds of contemplating, they all gasped.

"Team Rocket!" they cried.

"Duh." I rolled my eyes.

A strange, screeching noise penetrated the air, and I winced and covered my ears.

"What's going on?!" Ash said.

I looked up and noticed the Pokémon around me were being affected by the noise as well. None of my friends were being affected.

"What do you think this could be?!" Cilan said.

Clair pulled out a small device. "Of course. It's a sound frequency that only Pokémon can hear, which causes great pain..." Clair said, then her eyes traveled to me.

"Rylee has really sensitive hearing!" Iris blurted with an over-the-top smile.

"Those frequencies must've been what drove the cave Pokémon out!" Cilan said.

"We've got to stop them." Clair said.

She and Iris pulled out their PokéBalls and returned their Dragonites. Axew hid inside Iris's hair, and Pikachu wore Ash's hat. Zorua stuffed my hair inside her ears.

"Rylee, what about you?" Cilan said. "The frequencies are affecting you, too."

"I'll just have to grit my teeth and power through. I'll be fine." I said.

We entered the cave with Clair in the front as she used her frequency detector to guide us through. The sound made it hard to hear the conversation going on.

"I wonder if the Druddigon really lives here." Iris said.

"I do, too." Clair said. "Maybe it already ran away."

"Hey, look!" Iris pointed at claw marks on a nearby stone. "Druddigon will often leave marks that they make with their jagged wings, and that's one way you can tell that this is their home!"

"So that allows us to safely assume that this is Druddigon territory!" Cilan said.

"Way to go, Iris!" Ash said.

"Anybody training to be a Dragon Master already knows that!" Iris said.

"So your goal is to become a Dragon Master, Iris?" Clair said.

"Yes!"

"Looks may be deceiving, but Drayden actually handpicked Iris to be one who could inherit the Opelucid Academy someday." Cilan said.

"Looks may be deceiving?!"

"She's also gonna be the next Elder in the Village of Dragons!" Ash said.

"No, they haven't decided yet." Iris said, her humility returning.

"Village of Dragons?" Clair said.

"That's where I grew up!"

"So I guess your obvious love of Dragon-types has much to do with destiny."

"Um..." Iris held her hands together in front of her. "Actually, that's not really why. You see, when I was younger, I didn't really like Dragon-type Pokémon really much at all. They were so scary! I could hardly stand looking at them! But one day, I ran into a cave to protect myself from the rain. Little did I know a Druddigon was inside that very same cave! However, it sounded like it was in pain. I went to check it out, and when it first saw me, it used Flamethrower on me!"

As we ventured deeper into the cave, the pain in my head heightened steadily. Upon reaching a certain room, the sound reached its highest frequency, filling my head and making it hurt to think. I staggered back, pressing my hands as tightly as I could to my ears.

"Look! Over there!" Clair said, pointing to a strange device ahead of us. "That must be where the frequencies are coming from!"

"We've gotta destroy it, right away!" Iris said.

Clair stepped over to the machine and yanked a few cords. The pain and noise left all at once, and I sighed in relief, dropping to one knee. Iris and Cilan helped me stand back up. There was a roar.

"I heard a Druddigon! Let's go!" Clair said.

We followed her down the cave path and outside, where we saw Team Rocket and the shiny Druddigon. Frillish had it frozen in Psychic while Amoongus used a stream of Body Slams on its head.

"What are you doing to Druddigon?! Stop this now!" Iris said.

"The twerp scores!" James said.

"But Druddigon is ours!" Jessie said. "Frillish, Bubble Beam!"

Frillish attacked Druddigon with Bubble Beam, with was on the ground.

"Stop! If you keep that up, Druddigon's anger will get worse!" Clair said.

But it was too late. Druddigon's body and eyes glowed red, and it stood up and roared.

"It's mad now!" Cilan said.

"We better bag that beast!" Meowth said.

Jessie and James aimed a netting gun at Druddigon. As they fired a net at it, Druddigon unleashed Dragon Rage, which hit them and sent them blasting off into the sky.

"Well, that worked itself out." I said.

"But what about Druddigon?" Iris said.

Druddigon roared, its eyes still glowing, and it slammed its fist into a rock, shattering it to pieces.

"We've got to do something, or Druddigon could hurt itself badly!" Clair said.

"You're right, but what should we do?" Iris said. She pulled out her PokéBall. "Dragonite-"

"Wait. Battling head-to-head will only enrage Dragonite even more. I'll have to take care of this myself."

"You're not serious, though, right?! It's too dangerous!"

Nevertheless, Clair approached Druddigon.

"Druddigon." Clair said. "Just relax. Look into my eyes and listen to my voice."

Druddigon growled and slapped its tail into Clair, launching her away.

"I'm fine! That was nothing! I've got to convince Druddigon to trust in me." she assured us. She stood up. "Now, I'm mad! Listen, and listen well! I suggest you calm down right this instant, or I'm going to be in your face! Get it?! You just lost your temper because of Team Rocket's attack, but it's all over! We got rid of the sound waves in your cave once and for all! No one's going to mess with you anymore! So, please, control your rage!"

Once again, Druddigon attacked her, but she stood right back up.

"I'm not through! I'm still standing! Your attacks aren't going to stop me! I know you're a tough one, but I can feel your heart opening up to me little by little." Clair said. She turned to us. "Don't worry about me! You stay right where you are!"

"She sure is strong." I said.

Clair approached Druddigon for the third time. "I understand. You're fighting with me because you're consumed with anger, but things are going to be all right. It's all okay."

"Amazing..." Iris said. "That's just what happened to me!"

"You mean that story with the Druddigon?" I said.

Iris nodded. "After it attacked me, I could see that it was hurt. I hurried into the forest to find some herbs that would help its wound. After it attacked me, again, I managed to calm it down and treat its injury. All I was thinking about was helping Druddigon feel better. It worked." she said, her eyes fixed on Clair.

"Everything's all right." Clair said. She approached Druddigon and hugged it. "I really do understand. Being attacked the way you were would make anyone angry. But I won't let that happen ever again, so you don't need to be angry anymore. It's safe to go back to being your sweet self. Please?"

Druddigon closed its eyes, and when they opened, its Outrage had disappeared.

"Wow! Clair is amazing!" Ash said.

"She sure is! I know Druddigon may look pretty scary, but it's actually a big sweetheart on the inside. Just like the Druddigon I helped back then." Iris said. "After I helped Druddigon, I hurried back towards the Village of Dragons. On the way, I tripped over a bush that had a Scolipede in it. It was really angry, and it almost attacked me, but the Druddigon I helped had come and chased it off. And that's when I started to like Dragon-types."

"I get it. There's nothing more awesome than when you make a real connection with a Pokémon."

"Look! The cave Pokémon are going back to their home!" Cilan said, pointing to the group of Pokémon we had seen earlier as they happily returned inside the cave.

"Funny..." Clair said to the Druddigon. "Now that I've gotten to know you, I don't need to catch you anymore, so you can go on home."

Clair raised her hand, but Druddigon pressed its nose into it.

"Druddigon really does like you." I said. "It wants to stay with you."

"Do you really?" Clair said. Druddigon nodded. Clair threw her PokéBall into the air and captured the shiny Druddigon. "Thank you, everyone. I know that we're going to be a great team, for sure!"

* * *

We returned to the docks, just in time to meet up with Alexa again. To be honest, I had actually forgotten she was traveling with us.

"You mean to tell me you caught a Druddigon with different coloring?!" Alexa said after we told her the story. "Why didn't you take me with you?!"

"We would've if you didn't take off as soon as we docked." I said.

"May I see Druddigon, Clair? Pretty please?"

"My pleasure." Clair said, and she brought out Druddigon.

"Incredible! I've gotta record this!" Alexa said, putting on her headset. "Now, look straight into the camera. Perfect!"

"So, Clair, what are you going to do now?" Ash said.

"I think I'm going to go pay Drayden a visit." Clair said. "But, first, maybe I'll visit the Village of Dragons."

"That sounds great! If you happen to see the Elder, will you please tell her that Axew and I say hi and we're fine?" Iris said.

"Of course!"

The ship's horn blew. We said goodbye to Clair and returned to the ship. We waved goodbye to her and Druddigon as the ship took off back into the ocean.

"So, are you disappointed that your prediction of Clair's and Iris's Dragonites falling in love didn't turn out the way you had hoped?" I said to Cilan.

Cilan chuckled. "Like you said, it's all in the movies." he said, keeping his eyes on the ocean. "But who's to say it couldn't happen in real life?"

I raised my eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Cilan didn't reply. Instead, he smiled and walked away.

" _Rylee, you're blushing again._ " Zorua said.

I ignored her teasing comment. I tucked some hair behind my ear and returned my eyes to the sea.


	15. Dancing Queen

While we walked around the town of our next stop through the Decolore Islands, Alexa told us how there's a special comet, called Conley Comet, which is scheduled to make an appearance tonight. She told us about the mountain looming over the town that was the best place to witness the rare occasion.

"Conley Comet is beautiful! And it's only available to be seen by the naked eye once every ten years or so!" Cilan said. "To be able to witness such a fantastic, celestial display is a lifetime dream come true!"

"And the information I've collected tells me that a group of Pokémon mysteriously gather in the mountain. The strange thing is, they appear to get together only as the comet approaches." Alexa said.

"Wow! So, why do they do that?" Iris said.

"Honestly, I haven't the foggiest idea! But this Pokémon journalist has every intention of getting to the bottom of it!"

"I can't wait to see what kind of Pokémon will be there!" Ash said.

* * *

We headed out of town towards the mountain. Along the way, we passed by some ruins.

"These buildings must be hundreds of years old. Maybe thousands!" I said, looking at one of the crumbling structures. I feared touching it would cause it to collapse.

"You see, this island once had quite a large population, and it was very prosperous. It's easy to see the proof from these ruins." Alexa said.

"No kidding. They're huge!" Iris said.

We stopped at the foot of the ruins to set up for dinner.

"According to recovered records from long ago, several groups of Pokémon attacked all the islanders." Alexa said, causing all of us to pause.

"Attack?" I said. "Why would they do that?"

"I don't know. They tried unsuccessfully to subdue the Pokémon, and before they knew it, the entire island had found itself thrown into complete chaos."

"Did the islanders surrender?" Cilan said.

"Yes. All of a sudden, a young Pokémon trainer appeared out of nowhere. He was a hero!" Alexa, after another disorganized moment, showed us an old book she found during her research of the island. She showed us a picture of a young man with long, black hair and brown eyes, wielding a wooden staff and wearing a red chestplate, gray pants, black boots, and a blue cape. "A long, long time ago, this peaceful island was suddenly attacked by a group of Pokémon, but then a young man arrived from across the sea. His name was Conley. He came so he could rescue the exhausted islanders from further conflict. Conley skillfully led the group of attacking Pokémon up to the very top of the mountain, and when he and the Pokémon arrived there, he raised his hand toward the night sky, and a bright comet suddenly appeared and lit up the land! The Pokémon were awestruck. To them, it seemed as though Conley knew of the comet's existence before it appeared. The anger within the Pokémon subsided. They became his friends, and peace was restored to the island. Soon, trainers were traveling here from all over the world to challenge Conley, and after word got around, he decided to stay on the island with the Pokémon."

"You sure do love telling stories." I said, leaning back in my chair. "People really battled against Conley?"

"Yep. A battlefield was constructed at the top of the mountain, and Conley fought many splendid battles there. They say he never lost."

"Wow, he _never_ lost?" Iris said. "That's amazing!"

"I sure wish I could battle him." Ash said.

"The islanders proclaimed him their hero and a comet was named after him to memorialize his remarkable accomplishments. We'll actually be able to see the comet tonight! I'm gonna videotape that group of Pokémon on the mountain for sure!" Alexa said.

After dinner, we packed everything back up and headed back onto the mountain trail.

"Please, wait." a voice said. We stopped and turned as a woman with long, pink hair, clear blue eyes approached us. She wore a light blue dress. "Did I hear you say you were hiking up to the mountaintop?"

"Yes, that's our plan." Alexa said.

"In that case, please take this with you." the woman said. She held out a large, gold medallion with a star on it. She handed it to me. "I'm sure you'll find it useful. There's danger in the mountains. You'll watch over your friends, won't you? After all, I know you possess great power."

"Uh...? Of course..." I said, a nervous blush creeping into my face. "But who are you?"

The woman smiled, turned around, and walked away.

"All right, that was strange..." Iris said, looking at the medallion over my shoulder.

"I feel like I've seen that woman before..." Alexa said, but she brushed it off. I placed the necklace around my neck and tucked it underneath my collar.

* * *

"It doesn't look like any of the Pokémon are up on the mountain yet." Ash said.

"We need to stay calm and make sure we don't upset them." Alexa said.

"Besides, if you say something like that, you're going to end up jinxing yourself." I said. "It's almost as bad as 'what could possibly go wrong?'"

" _Uh..._ " Zorua said, looking at some rocks in the distance.

"What?"

" _Nothing. I thought I saw something._ "

"Yeah, Rylee, what could possibly go wrong?" Iris said, and I rolled my eyes.

We arrived at the battlefield, which was a very large, stone coliseum.

"It's so cool to think this was where Conley had his battles." Ash said.

"Well, why don't we go in?" Alexa said.

We did, and it was very dark. The path in front of us and behind us were pitch black as we walked down the hallway.

"It's really spooky in here..." Iris said, clinging to my arm. "But I'm sure it's nothing!"

The air in front of us seemed to pick up, and a horde of Woobat burst from the darkness and hurried past us.

"That was no big deal! It was just a bunch of Woobat!" Ash chuckled as he continued. Two steps later, he screamed and stumbled back, landing on his butt as a cluster of Venipede ran by.

"That was no big deal, Ash! It was just a bunch of Venipede!" Iris mocked, punching him in the arm. "Little kid!"

"Do you think those Pokémon are the ones who gather here, or do you think they live here?" Cilan said while Iris and Ash argued in the background.

"The Woobat sure looked frightened. Maybe something that's here scared them." I said.

"Oh, yeah?! Well, you're the littler kid!" Ash said.

"Not as little as you! You're the littlest kid!" Iris said.

I growled in frustration as an angry vein pulsed on my forehead. "Knock it off!" I cried, whirling around and glaring at Iris and Ash. "As far as I know, you're _both_ little kids for fighting over something as stupid as this! If we're going to get to the mountain, we need to focus our energy into not being at each other's throats!"

Ash and Iris shrunk back sheepishly. "Sorry, Rylee." they said in unison.

"You seem to capture the role of the mom of the group." Cilan chuckled.

"Well, with your over-extensive knowledge and pity laugh-inducing jokes, if I'm the mom of the group, then that easily makes you the dad." I said, crossing my arms.

Zorua snorted on my shoulder. Cilan raised his eyebrow at me. As the realization of my words rammed into my stomach, my cheeks flared red. I cleared my throat and turned around, continuing down the path.

 _"Shut up."_ I said.

 _"I didn't even say anything!"_ Zorua giggled.

 _"You wanted to."_

We entered a large room with three more hallways. In the center of the room was a statue of Conley.

"What a magnificent statue! Someone must've spent a lot of time sculpting this!" Alexa said, recording the statue with her video headset.

"It vividly demonstrates how well-respected and liked he was by islanders and Pokémon alike!" Cilan said.

"This ruin was probably the most important location on the whole island!" Alexa circled the statue. As she turned the corner, she froze and cried out. She backed away as a Dusknoir, Gengar, and Banette approached her. As they came in closer, Helioptile, riddled with fright, unleashed Thunder on the group. Banette and Dusknoir fell, and Gengar flew into Conley's statue. The statue landed on Dusknoir.

Dusknoir screamed. "This thing must way a ton! Get this off me this instant!" it cried, and with a bizarre burst of strength, it lifted the statue and threw it aside. "I refuse to be my own stunt person!"

"Manual labor isn't in my contract!" the Gengar cried.

"My agent's gonna hear about this!" the Banette said.

"Okay, those do not sound like Pokémon." I said. The costumes came off, revealing Team Rocket. I sighed.

After a brief banter exchange, James lifted his arm, ready to call out Amoongus. However, Team Rocket was enveloped with Psychic and lifted into the air. Six sets of glowing blue eyes appeared in one of the hallways, and when the bodies appeared, they were three Gengars and three Banettes.

" _Those_ Pokémon are real!" Iris cried.

"You clowns put me down!" Meowth said.

"And me, too!" Jessie said.

"Me, three!" James said.

The ghost Pokémon smiled mischievously and released Team Rocket from Psychic, causing them to fall to the ground into a dog pile. As they stood up, the six Pokémon flew around them and us.

"Hey, knock it off!" Ash cried.

"Don't worry, everyone!" Alexa said, pulling out a PokéBall. "Noivern, we need your help!"

Noivern came out and used Dragon Pulse, which hit the ground and created a smog layer that we escaped under. We ran until we all collapsed from exhaustion.

"Is everyone all right?" Alexa said.

"It's all thanks to Noivern! What a cool-looking Pokémon!" Ash said.

"Thanks. It's really dependable, but it does have the habit of getting a little fussy."

"Fussy?"

Just then, Noivern growled and latched its teeth onto Meowth's head.

"HEY! That's some breath you got, pal!" Meowth cried.

"Take your teeth off him!" James cried as he and Jessie tried to yank Meowth out of Noivern's mouth.

"I'm sorry..." Alexa pulled out a red berry with bumps and looked like a miniature eggplant. She held it out to Noivern. "Here, eat this."

"This is no time to be chowing down on berries!" Meowth said, then snatched up the berry and ate it.

"Not you! It's for Noivern!"

Meowth's face grew as red as the berry and he screamed. "My mouth is on fire!" he cried. "What kind of berry was that?!"

"It's a Spelon Berry. It's a bit hot..."

"Now, _that's_ an understatement. They're some of the spiciest of all! They have a flavor as hot as fire!" Cilan said.

"Who knew how literal people were?" I said, watching the columns of fire spewing from Meowth's mouth.

Alexa gave a Spelon Berry to Noivern, who happily munched on it. "I have to reward it with a Spelon Berry or else it gets hyper and bites everything in sight."

"Yeah?! That berry bit me!" Meowth said.

"Enough of this berry nonsense! I want to know why all those Pokémon attacked us like that!" Jessie said.

"Those Banette and Gengar were totally out to get us." Ash said with his arms crossed.

"For sure. They weren't like the Woobat and Venipede." Iris said.

"It's possible that those Gengar and Banette are all here for the celestial display..." Cilan said.

"Hold on... You may be on to something." I said. "Alexa, can we see the record you showed us about the comet?"

"Sure." Alexa said, and she handed me the book. "Where are you going with this?"

"Just a moment." I said. After a brief page-flipping session, I paused and uttered an "aha!" I showed my friends one of the pictures of the comet's legend. "See here? Gengar and Banette were among the Pokémon from Conley's legend."

"So, that means..." Alexa said. One by one, all of us gasped in realization. Alexa turned to Team Rocket. "They're upset because of _you_!"

"Why, the nerve! We're as clean as the wind-driven snow!" Jessie cried.

"Innocent!" James chimed.

"Lay off!" Meowth said.

"But if they gathered here on the night the comet appears, then that mean they all have the utmost reverence for Conley." Cilan said.

"You were the ones who knocked over Conley's statue, and then Ms. Dusknoir over here chucked it like a ragdoll!" I said, shooting a glare at Jessie.

"You three sure messed up this time!" Ash said.

The hallways filled with eerie cries. We looked and saw the Banette and Gengar flying toward us.

"Here we go again!" Cilan said.

"They look really mad!" Ash said.

A Gengar summoned a Shadow Ball and hurled it at Cilan, who jumped away and crashed into us.

"Let's get out of here!" Iris said.

"Agreed!" Cilan said, and we took off down the hallway.

"I'm never buying property on this island!" Jessie cried.

Two large shadows appeared in front of us. As we came closer, it turned out to be two Dusknoirs.

"There are the Dusknoirs!" I cried.

Two hallways were between us and the Dusknoirs. Ash, Alexa, and Meowth took off down one hallway, and Jessie, James, Iris, and Cilan ran down the other way.

"Where are you all going?!" I cried. "Shouldn't we be running together?!"

The mumbles of Pokémon cries surrounded me, and I gulped as the Dusknoir, Gengar, and Banette slowly approached me.

"Rylee!" I heard my friends cry, which blended in with the Pokémon.

"I'm fine!" I called, but the shakiness of my voice betrayed me. "Um... hello. Listen, there's been a bit of a misunderstanding. If you let us explain ourselves, I'm sure we can find common ground."

That didn't seem to work. All of the ghost Pokémon summoned Shadow Balls. I whimpered, sweat trickling down the back of my neck.

"Zorua, you've got to get out of here!" I whispered to her.

" _Not when you're in this kind of predicament!_ " Zorua said.

The Shadow Balls pulsed, ready to fire. I grabbed Zorua off my shoulder and launched her over the Pokémon. Her startled cries faded steadily as she went out of sight, and I heard an "OOF!"

All eight of the Pokémon fired their Shadow Balls. I screamed and brought my arms up in front of my face. There was a loud boom of the Shadow Balls colliding, and when I opened my eyes, I gasped at the dome of Protect covering me. I sighed in relief as I remembered such beautiful Pokémon move was at my disposal. It's been so long since I've used my powers I seemed to have forgotten that I could. The ghost Pokémon brought their hands together again, preparing to fire another series of Shadow Balls.

The woman from before popped into my head, as well as the event of her giving me the gold medallion.

"Wait!" I cried, fishing the medallion out from my collar and displaying it to the Pokémon. "Look!"

The Pokémon all paused and mumbled curiously, their eyes fixed on the medallion. They hovered close around me, this time with no intent to do me bodily harm.

" _Conley!_ " The only word that escaped their mouths as they repeated the name over and over again, each time with more excitement. " _Conley! Conley!_ "

I looked at the medallion. "Conley? Did this belong to him?"

" _Yes! This was his medal! Where did you get this?_ " one of the Gengar said.

"A lady gave it to me. You must all be really fond of Conley, huh?"

The ghost Pokémon parted, and Ash, Alexa, and Meowth ran over to me.

"What's with the Pokémon? They've stopped attacking." Ash said, cautiously looking between each Pokémon.

"It's all right." I said, and I took off the medallion and showed it to them. "It's because of this. This is Conley's medal.

"Really? Cool!"

" _Please, let us take you to the battlefield._ " a Dusknoir said. " _It would be our honor._ "

"All right. Lead the way." I said.

* * *

The Dusknoir, Gengar, and Banette led us to the battlefield. As we stepped onto it, the wall on the other side opened, and Iris, Cilan, Zorua, Jessie, and James came out, riding on top of the platform with Conley's statue.

" _Rylee, you're okay!_ " Zorua cried, jumping into my arms. " _Don't you_ ever _throw me like that again!_ "

"Are you sure? I really enjoyed that." I chuckled. "So... why are you riding with the statue?"

"Cilan and James put the statue back its place, and then a door appeared. Next thing we knew, the platform brought us and the statue here." Iris said.

"I guess these Pokémon were the ones from Conley's legend." Cilan said. The Gengar chattered in agreement.

"That's incredible!" Alexa said.

"As soon as they saw the medal Rylee has, they knew we weren't their enemies, but their friends!" Ash said.

"Huh?" Iris said.

I showed my friends the medallion. "This medal belonged to Conley."

As we admired it, a claw shot out and grabbed Pikachu. The claw withdrew back over to Team Rocket and encased him in a glass container.

"Well, well, bottled Pikachu!" Jessie said.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ash said.

"The thing we do best, you silly twerp you."

"Asking dumb things is the best you can do!"

"To protect the world from-"

"Oh, no, we are _not_ doing this." I said. "Gengar, Banette, Dusknoir, help us out, please."

All eight sets of eyes glowed blue, and Team Rocket was encased with Psychic.

"No fair, foul play!" James cried.

"How dare you interrupt our motto!" Jessie cried.

The glass container opened, and Pikachu was carried back over to Ash. I called out Articuno, and with the snap of my fingers and a point at Team Rocket, Articuno nodded with a pity eye roll. Her eyes glowed red, and dark energy collected at her mouth. With a cry, she unleashed Shadow Chill, which hit Team Rocket and sent them blasting off.

"Well, that was anticlimactic." Iris said.

While I returned Articuno to its PokéBall, a bright light appeared above us. We turned our eyes up and saw Conley's Comet gliding through the sky. The ghost Pokémon cheered and danced around Conley's statue.

"Wow, look at them all dance!" Iris said.

"That's cause they're so psyched!" Ash said.

"There's a name for it." The woman from before approached us. "It's the Comet Dance. All the Ghost-type Pokémon perform the dance to celebrate Conley, their hero."

"How do you know all of that?" Alexa said. "And who _are_ you?"

"Well... I am the one who knows the past and then passes it on to the future." the woman said, earning confused grunts from all of us. She turned to the dancing Pokémon. "Isn't it wonderful to see how overjoyed they all are?"

"Sure is! I'm gonna dance, too!" Ash said, running over and joining the Pokémon.

"Me, too!" Iris said.

"It's DANCING TIME!" Cilan said.

I giggled as my friends joined the Pokémon in the dance. I turned to the woman.

"Thanks for giving us the medal. Who knows what would've happened if we didn't have it." I said. "Oh, here's the medal back."

I handed the medal back to the woman. She held it in her hands and pressed it against her heart.

"Thank you. I hope we meet again." And with that, the woman turned and walked away once again.

"Sure... okay..." I said. _Who_ is _that woman?_ I pushed aside the thought and looked up at the sky. Conley's Comet continued to stream through the air. The stars shined brightly, and I even caught a few falling alongside the comet. I smiled peacefully and held my locket.

"You're not getting out of this, Rylee!" I heard Ash cry. A pair of hands seized my arms and pulled me back.

"Hey, let me go, Ash!"

"You're gonna dance with us whether you like it or not!" Iris said, pushing my shoulders.

"All right, all right!" I said with a laugh.

Iris gave me a hard shove. I cried out as I stumbled back, twisting my body so I could use my hands as support for when I hit the ground. However, a hand grabbed one of mine and pulled me forward, making me gasp in shock. Another hand rested on the small of my back, and my body bumped into another. I laid my free hand on a shoulder and opened my eyes, blushing brightly when I realized I was inches away from another face.

"Sorry..." I said to Cilan.

Cilan smiled, saying nothing to excuse himself. "May I have this dance?"

My blush heightened, and I giggled nervously.

"Of course."

* * *

"Last night was so much fun!" Ash said the next morning.

"And we even saw the Conley Comet! It was almost like it was a dream!" Cilan said.

"It wasn't a dream! I recorded the whole thing!" Alexa said, typing on her laptop. "Huh?! It's all gone!"

We gathered around her laptop screen, which showed a recording of a bunch of static.

"Impossible! How can this be?!" Alexa said.

"It is strange..." Cilan said.

"We don't even have the medal for proof. I gave it back to the woman last night." I said.

"The medal! That's right!" Alexa said, pulling out the record.

We gasped at the picture of Conley holding up the medal. Standing next to him was the woman.

"It's the woman from last night!" Iris said.

"But how can that be? Does that mean she came here from the ancient past?" Cilan said. "It's not possible!"

"Yeah, so... who _did_ we see?" Ash said.

"Maybe... it _was_ all a dream..." Iris said.

I held my arms as a small smile appeared on my face. The lingering warmth of the hand around my waist and those dazzling pair of grass green eyes said otherwise. My head still spun from all the twirling, the last of my stomach butterflies were flying away, and my heart felt weary from how quickly it raced. If last night was a dream, I wished I didn't have to wake up. I stole a glance at Cilan, and my stomach dropped slightly when I saw he was already looking at me. He smiled to himself and turned away.

I wonder... if he felt the same way.


	16. I'm On To You

At our next stop, we headed to the Pokémon Center so Alexa could do some research about it. Nurse Joy showed us the Center's newest Pokémon examination machine.

"How interesting!" Alexa said, taking pictures with her camera. "Are there any new features?"

"First, there's the speed. It performs at twice the rate it did before! And because of that, it shortens the amount of time I need to prepare any other necessary equipment or medicine I'll be using for a Pokémon's treatment." Nurse Joy said.

After the interview, we relaxed in the foyer.

"I realize that this story's only about equipment, so I imagine it'll be a teensy bit on the boring side." Alexa said.

"No way! We love learning about all sorts of cool, new stuff!" Ash said.

"Ash is right! We got to see something we normally wouldn't get a chance to!" Iris said.

"Although, I must agree a little on the boring thing. I almost took a nap in the examination machine." I chuckled.

"But since we were planning on having our Pokémon receive a thorough check-up, this was the perfect opportunity!" Cilan said as Nurse Joy wheeled away a cart with our PokéBalls, suggesting that we sit back and relax while we wait.

"I think this will the perfect time for me to work on my article before the next ship docks." Alexa said. "What are you guys going to do?"

"I think we're just gonna hang out until everybody's check-ups are over." Ash said.

"That means a little rest and relaxation!" Cilan said.

"Then, would you mind taking a peek outside and seeing how Gogoat is doing?"

"No problem!"

"Great! Thanks! See you later!"

"In the meantime, I've got a power nap calling my name." I said, kicking my feet up and laying over the bench.

"But we've got to go check on Gogoat first!" Iris said.

"Okay, then, you check on Gogoat while I nap. See you in twenty minutes." I said, closing my eyes.

A few seconds later, a pair of hands shoved me, and I cried out as I fell off the bench and onto the floor with an "OOF!" I sat up straight and glared at Iris.

"Good morning!" she said as she and Zorua giggled. She tugged at my arm. "Now, come on!"

I grumbled and stood up, allowing her to drag me outside. Gogoat stood by the entrance to the Pokémon Center, next to the fountain.

"Hey, Gogoat. Alexa's working on her article, so she wants you to stick around until she's done." Ash said.

" _All right._ " Gogoat said, sitting down.

"Gogoat's so well-behaved, you know." Iris said.

"That doesn't surprise me one bit." Cilan said as he circled around Gogoat and studied it. "Alexa's assistant has to be an exceptional Pokémon, after all."

"And a Kalos region Pokémon, too." Ash said. "I wonder what moves Gogoat uses."

Pikachu and Axew jumped off of their partners' shoulders and landed on Gogoat's back, giggling and jumping on its saddle. Gogoat shrugged it off.

"I'd love to have a battle with you, Gogoat!" Ash said.

"You can't do that when Alexa's not around!" Iris said.

"Besides, Alexa told us to check up on Gogoat, not have a Pokémon battle with it." I said.

"Aw... okay..." Ash said. "But could you still show me one of your moves?"

Gogoat stared at Ash.

"Pretty please? Just one?"

Gogoat bleated, stood up, and walked away. Ash sighed.

"Why don't you just relax and ask Alexa when she's finished with her work?" Cilan said from the comfort of a nearby bench.

"Good idea!" Ash said.

* * *

While we waited for Alexa to return, Ash found joy in chasing around Pikachu and Axew. Iris watched with a smile and an occasional eye roll. Cilan remained on the bench, his attention devoted to studying his Town Map. I sat on the fountain edge and played with Zorua, a game mostly consisting of raising my hand up and seeing if she can jump and reach it. Each jump brought a flurry of giggles from the both of us. As the routine continued, I found myself slipping into thought.

 _We've been to a lot of different islands: at least 13 or 14. I wonder how much longer this cruise will be._ As I pondered more, my face slowly fell, and my heart steadily deflated. _Is the time coming sooner than I thought? Will we reach the Kanto region in a couple of days?_ Tomorrow _? The goodbyes are approaching faster with each passing hour, and soon..._

"Everything all right, Rylee?" Iris said. I looked up, startled slightly from the abrupt ending to my thoughts. Iris watched me with concerned eyes.

"Uh... yeah." I said.

"Look out! WAAAH!" A force slammed into me, sending me back. I heard a gasp from Iris and a scream from me. There was a splash, and my body was immersed in water. I had fallen into the fountain! Or, to be more accurate, I was knocked into it.

I sat upright, gasping in air, and pried off the wet hair clinging to my face. Ash came up a few seconds later and spat out a mouthful of water. His hat floated around him.

"Are you guys okay?!" Iris said.

"What happened?" Cilan said, setting his Town Map aside and focusing on the matter at hand.

"Sorry, Rylee..." Ash said, shrinking back.

I stared at him with a blank expression. My bottom lip started to quiver, and Ash's eyes widened. Soon, my whole mouth trembled from a chuckle building in my throat, and a laugh burst from my lungs. Ash's wide eyes lit up, and he started to laugh, too. I struck my hands against the surface, splashing Ash with water. As he sputtered and wiped water off his face, Iris and Zorua began to laugh, too. Tears came into my eyes, and my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. I cracked my eyes open to look at my friends, who all beamed with joyful delight.

 _I'm sure gonna miss this..._

My laughter transformed into sobs. The tears in my eyes turned bitter, and they streamed down my face. The laughter from my friends stopped.

"Whoa, Rylee..." Ash said. "Are you okay?"

I frantically tried to brush off the tears from my cheeks, but more quickly took their place.

"I-I'm fine." I said. I scooped a handful of water from the fountain and splashed it on my face, hoping it would help to clear the face leprosy that appeared every time I cried excessively.

In my top peripheral, I saw a hand reaching out to me. I looked up and saw a smiling Cilan with a towel draped over his arm. I took his hand, and he helped me out of the fountain. He took the towel and wrapped it around my shoulders.

"Thank you." I said, my eyes glued to the ground.

A finger touched the bottom of my chin and lifted it, forcing me to look up at him.

"You're welcome." Cilan said.

The smile returned to my face.

"Guys! Where's Gogoat?!" Iris cried.

We broke away and looked over at the spot Gogoat used to be, but it was empty.

"Where could it have gone?" Ash said.

"Alexa trusted us with Gogoat! Now, what do we do?" Iris said.

"We should tell Alexa. It's her Pokémon, after all." I said. "We can all look for Gogoat."

"There might be some clues around town." Cilan said.

"I'll go and find Alexa." Iris said.

We nodded and split up, Iris heading into the Pokémon Center and Ash, Cilan, and I heading into the town. After a thorough look around, we met up.

"Did you guys find anything?" Ash said.

"Nothing." I said. "It's like Gogoat completely disappeared."

"There must be a good reason for such a well-behaved Pokémon to disappear like that. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense." Cilan said.

"And what reason could that be?" Ash said.

"I have no idea."

We heard tires screeching in the distance, and we looked to see Officer Jenny getting out of a car. A woman with long, purple hair in a braid, a yellow sweater, orange trousers, and red flats approached her.

"Officer Jenny!" we cried as we ran over to her.

"What's seems to be the problem?" Officer Jenny said.

"We've been looking for a lost Pokémon." Ash said.

"So you've got an emergency, too?"

"Do you have one as well?" Cilan said to the woman.

"Yes. My son, Tony, is missing." the woman said. "You haven't seen him anywhere, have you?"

"Sorry, I don't think we have." Ash said.

"Right. You see, we've been preoccupied with searching the city for a missing Pokémon, but we didn't come across your son." Cilan said.

I crossed my arms in contemplation. "Do you think they're both connected?"

"Connected? What do you mean?"

"Could Gogoat and Tony both be missing for similar reasons?"

"Now that I think about it, I did receive a report about a young boy matching Tony's description was seen riding on top of a rare Pokémon." Officer Jenny said.

"That rare Pokémon might be my Gogoat!" We turned and saw Alexa and Iris running over to us.

"Do you have any idea where those two might've gone?"

"Gogoat strongly feels what people feel when they touch its horns. A powerful connection is formed. Then, Gogoat knows exactly what's in a person's heart. So if Tony happened to touch its horns..."

"What would happen next?" Cilan said.

"If Tony was wishing for something very important at the time, then Gogoat would attempt to fulfill his wish."

"Of course!" Tony's mother cried. "That means they must've gone to the observatory! You see, my husband works at an observatory up on the top of the mountain. Today's my husband's birthday, so Tony wanted to celebrate it with him. He even made him a present! Tony was so excited..."

"What's keeping that from happening?" I said.

"My husband has to stay over for work and won't be coming back tonight. As soon as Tony heard, he left, running away screaming that he was going to see his dad no matter what."

"I'm sure Gogoat must have sensed what Tony felt, so they must have gone up to the mountain together." Alexa said.

"If that's true, then we'd better go after them right away." Officer Jenny said. "The mountain can be an extremely dangerous place."

"We want to go with you!" Ash said.

"You?"

"No one's certain Tony is even up there. You search the city, and we'll go up there and look." Cilan said. "That way, we'll be able to cover a lot more ground."

"This is partly our fault for not looking after Gogoat more carefully in the first place." Iris said.

Officer Jenny agreed, and Tony's mom thanked us.

* * *

We made our way up the mountain trail. We came to a fork in the road, with two paths leading in different directions.

"Which way takes us to the observatory?" Ash said.

Cilan pulled out his Town Map. "It appears that both paths head up to the mountains tracing the east and west side. So, both paths lead up to the observatory."

"Then that means... we don't know which path Tony and Gogoat went!" Iris said.

"Then, we'll split up. Iris, you go with Cilan down the east path. Rylee, Alexa, and I will go down the west path." Ash said.

"Okay, then. We'll meet up at the observatory."

We split up, taking off down our assigned paths.

"I sure hope Tony's okay." Ash said.

"He'll be fine as long as Gogoat is with him." Alexa said.

"But..." Ash stopped and bowed his head.

"Gogoat and I have traveled to more places than you can image! Lots of those places are really dangerous, but as you can see, I'm still in one piece! I'm sure Gogoat will protect Tony on the way to the observatory."

"You really believe in Gogoat, huh?" I said.

"Yeah. I've got no better friend."

"I've got to ask you something: how did you meet Gogoat in the first place?" Ash said.

"Well, I was by myself at the time, working on a story in the mountains. While I was resting, I found a Ducklett going through my equipment! I accidentally startled it, and it threw my stuff over a cliff. After stumbling down that cliff myself, I retrieved my equipment, which was thankfully undamaged. However, I had no idea how I was going to get back up to my campsite. It was at that moment that Gogoat appeared. I touched its horns, and it offered me a ride back up the cliff. I asked if it wanted to travel with me, and it happily agreed. And that's how Gogoat and I got our start. I've been to so many places all over the world, and we've done it all together."

"It sounds like you're meant to be good friends until the end!" Ash said.

"You're right. And that sounds just like you and Pikachu!"

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other and smiled. "Yeah, you're right!"

"So, friends, let's get going!"

* * *

~IRIS~

Perched on the branch of a tall tree, I scanned the forest area, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tony and Gogoat. After all, a boy riding on top of a giant goat Pokémon isn't hard to miss.

"Any luck, Iris?" Cilan called from the ground.

"Nothing!" I said, heaving a sigh.

"Perhaps that means that Rylee and Ash took the correct path."

I jumped down from the tree and landed on the ground. "Maybe. I hope so."

We continued down the path.

"You know, speaking of Rylee..." I said, eyeing Cilan with a mischievous smirk. "You two sure have been getting pretty close."

"Do you really think this is good time to discuss that?" Cilan said.

"Why not? After all, I was there back at the White Ruins. You left me at a cliffhanger!"

Cilan rolled his eyes, but I knew he was fighting off the blush that began to peek.

"Please, Iris. What I feel for Rylee is not something I would blurt out to just anyone."

"But when are you going to tell _her_? This cruise isn't going to last forever. The thought of us saying goodbye really scares her. I bet my sixth sense that was what she was thinking about earlier today."

"I know that." Cilan sighed. "Maybe someday. Until then, I guess I'll have to be patient... and _you_ have to remain quiet."

"Don't worry, I will." We took a few steps in silence. "Do you think Rylee will ask me to be the maid of honor?"

"WHAT?!" The blush blew through like a stick of dynamite. I giggled and ran ahead. " _Iris_!"

* * *

~RYLEE~

"Look! Up there!" Alexa cried, pointing forward. On the path ahead, we saw Gogoat and a young boy riding on top of it.

"Hey! Wait up!" Ash called as we caught up to them. "Is your name Tony?"

"Yeah." the boy said. "Who are you?"

"My name's Ash. This is Alexa and Rylee. Your mom asked me to find out where you went." Ash said.

Tony's face fell, and he turned around. "I'm not going back! Who cares what my mom wants?" Tony patted Gogoat, urging him to keep moving, but Gogoat remained still. "Come on, hurry up! What's wrong? You brought me up all this way!"

Gogoat turned around and looked at Alexa. He sat down.

"This is Gogoat. He's my Pokémon." Alexa said, petting Gogoat's head.

"Oh! I had no idea." Tony said, dismounting. "I'm really sorry for taking Gogoat without your permission."

"It's all right. Gogoat made the decision to carry you up to the observatory for your father's birthday because it sensed that's where you wanted to be."

"Oh, wow." Tony turned to Gogoat. "Thank you for bringing me up here. I guess I'll go by myself the rest of the way."

"Wait, Tony. It's too dangerous. There are wild Pokémon everywhere." Ash said.

"I know..." Tony removed a container that was slung across his back. "But I really want to go see my dad."

"Tony," I said, walking over and kneeling down to be at his level, "do you mind telling us why you'd come all this way to be with your dad?"

"Because... I promised him. I told my dad I was going to give him this really awesome present on his birthday."

I smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then I'll go with you."

"Huh? You will?"

"Of course. I know what it's like to want to be with those you love the most. Like Gogoat, I want to help you fulfill what really matters to you. Your dad probably knows you're on your way to the observatory. I bet he's even waiting for you right now!"

"We'll all go with you!" Alexa said. "Letting a father know his son is okay is the right thing to do."

"All right, let's get up there as fast as we can, then!" Ash said, and we started up the path. "So, Tony, is your father's birthday present in that container?"

"Yup." Tony said.

"Can I have a peek!"

"Nope! It's a secret!"

"Oh, come on! Just a little peak? Please?!"

Alexa stopped. "Shh!" she hissed. "Look over there!"

We looked and saw a horde of Foongus blocking the path.

"We have to be very careful." I said, keeping an arm extended in front of Tony. "Foongus could shoot some very harmful Spore at you."

Ash attempted to ask the Foongus to move out of the way, but they responded with a thick layer of Poison Spore, which Ash quickly jumped away from.

"How are we going to get up the mountain?" Tony said, clutching his dad's present.

"Don't worry, we'll find another way." Alexa said. She pointed to a cliff. "We'll climb up the mountain!"

Gogoat offered its saddle, and we climbed on top of it: Tony riding in the very front, Alexa behind him, me behind Alexa, and Ash behind me, desperately clinging to my waist.

"Now, everyone, hold on tight!" Alexa said, spurring Gogoat and prompting Ash to hold on tightly to his already python-like grip around my torso.

"Easy, Ash! You gotta let me breathe!" I said.

"Sorry." Ash said, loosening his grip very slightly.

Gogoat leaped into the air, hopping from rock to rock up the cliff. We dismounted and continued down the path. We came to another stop at a chasm with a roaring river below us. The only thing connecting the two chasms was a very old, very unstable bridge.

"Uh... I guess we can swim..." Ash said.

"Impossible. The current's much too strong!" Alexa said.

"Too bad I left Charizard and the other Pokémon back at the Pokémon Center." Ash said, and I silently cursed myself for doing the same.

"I've got the perfect solution! We'll knock down that tree and use it as a bridge! We'll use Pikachu and Zorua for that, and Gogoat can help!"

"All right..."

Gogoat used Vine Whip to bring Pikachu and Zorua to the other side of the bridge. Pikachu used Iron Tail and Zorua used Shadow Ball on the tree. Gogoat used Vine Whip again and pulled the tree down, making it into a bridge. We managed to cross the tree to the other side. As the sun began to set, we arrived at the observatory.

"Is that it?" Ash said.

"Yeah! We made it!" Tony said.

"There they are! Ash! Rylee!" Iris called I saw her and Cilan waiting for us, along with another man.

"There's Iris and Cilan! Looks like they beat us." Ash said.

"They probably didn't have as many obstacles as we did." I said.

"Daddy!" Tony hopped off of Gogoat and ran over to his father, a man with brown hair similarly styled to Tony's, gray eyes, and he wore a blue jacket, gray trouser pants, and brown loafers.

"Thank goodness you're all right!" Tony's father said, hugging his son. "You shouldn't have run away like that! We've all been so worried!"

"I'm sorry! I wanted to give you this present. I hope you like it, Daddy. Happy birthday!"

Tony opened the container and pulled out a rolled up piece of paper. He handed it to his father, and he opened it up.

"Wow... a Braviary!" Tony's father said.

"You said it was your favorite constellation, didn't you, Daddy?"

"I did." Tony's father rustled the boy's hair. "Tony, thank you."

"Wow, that's great!" Ash said as he and I approached the two.

"Thank you for helping my son." Tony's father said.

"It was the least we could do." I said.

"Boy, you guys took so long! You had us worried sick!" Iris said.

"Did anything go wrong?" Cilan said.

"It was no big deal!" Ash said.

"No big deal? All right, spill it!" Iris said, scowling and getting extremely close to Ash.

"Whaddya mean?"

"Tell me what happened!"

"It's a secret!" Tony giggled.

"He's right! This is a secret between us and Tony!" Ash said.

"...What?" Iris said.

"Did anything happen to you guys?" I said.

"Oh, nothing, really. But we did get to talk about a lot of things!" Iris said. She grinned at Cilan and giggled while Cilan crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

* * *

By nightfall, we had returned to the city and reunited Tony with both his parents.

"Look!" Tony cried, jumping to his feet and pointing up at the sky. "There's the Braviary constellation!"

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Iris said.

"Just look at all those bewitching stars!" Cilan said.

"They're amazing!" Ash said.

"They sure are." I said. I turned to Cilan. "So, was Iris telling the truth about what happened while you guys were on the other mountain path?"

Cilan chuckled nervously. "Let's just say we touched on some... interesting topics..."

I glanced at Iris, who watched Cilan with a mischievous grin. She looked at me, shot me a wink, and giggled. I raised my eyebrow and shrugged it off.


	17. Two-Sided Story

As soon as we arrived on the next island, Alexa took off once again to take care of her equipment. We decided to spend some time relaxing, so we set up a picnic in a meadow nearby.

"This sure is tasty!" Ash said, stuffing his face with sandwiches.

"I made it so the fresh herbs stand out." Cilan said.

"Master Chef Cilan!" Iris giggled.

We heard commotion behind us, and we turned to see Emolga use Discharge on Oshawott.

"Hey!" Iris said. "You know you shouldn't use Discharge on your friends!"

Emolga grumbled and turned away, pouting like a two-year-old. It seemed like this entire day was filled with Iris scolding Emolga for getting in trouble. A few minutes after the first scolding, Emolga used Discharge on Oshawott and Scraggy for spilling her food.

"Emolga," Iris said while she and Axew played together. They ran around a boulder that Snivy sat on top of, "make sure Axew doesn't get hurt, okay?"

" _Don't worry! I got this!_ " Emolga said, and she and Axew ran off.

It wasn't five minutes later before we found Axew crying, a huge bump on its head. Snivy and Emolga tried to comfort him.

"Axew!" Iris cried, scooping Axew into her arms. "You're gonna be okay!"

"We need to take care of this bump." Cilan said. He touched Axew's head, and Axew cringed from the effects of paralysis.

Iris turned her glare back to Emolga for the third time today. "Emolga! Didn't I tell you not to use Discharge on our friends? And you were supposed to look after Axew, too!"

" _What?! B-b-but I didn't!_ " Emolga cried, but Snivy swatted her hand with Vine Whip.

"Emolga, apologize right now!"

" _B-but..._ " Emolga growled and took off.

"Uh... don't look now, but Emolga's gone." Ash said, and I swatted the back of his head.

"Forget it! Emolga will be back soon enough." Iris said.

" _But, Iris, Emolga didn't..._ " Axew said.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of that bump now."

Iris walked away, carrying Axew with her.

* * *

"Okay," Cilan said, spritzing Axew's bump with a Potion, "everything should be fine."

"Thanks, Cilan." Iris said.

" _Iris! What about Emolga?_ " Axew said.

"What are you talking about?"

Axew sighed, jumped out of Iris's arms, and ran down the path.

"Now that I think about it, Emolga hasn't come back yet. Do you think it's all right?"

We returned our Pokémon back to their PokéBalls except Snivy, who wanted to stay and keep an eye out on Axew. We followed Snivy, Pikachu, and Axew down the forest path while they called out for Emolga.

"Emolga should've been back a long time ago." Iris said.

"It must still be upset over what happened." I said.

"I hope it hasn't gotten into any trouble." Cilan said.

We stopped when a gust of hot air whipped in our faces, and we looked up and saw Team Rocket's balloon.

" _You_ again?!" I said. "How about we skip the motto and get to the part where we thwart your plans?"

"Not this time, twerpette!" Jessie said. "Team Rocket's found a new recruit!"

"And what a shocking addition it is!" James said.

We saw something pop out from the balloon basket, uttering a very familiar cry.

"Emolga!" we gasped.

"What are you doing with Team Rocket?!" Iris cried.

"Emolga simply got wise and decided to ditch you twerps." Jessie said.

"We're talking talents, strength, and good taste!" Meowth said.

"What?! You're part of Team Rocket?!" Iris said.

"That can't be right!" Ash said.

"Oh, Emolga, why?!" Cilan said.

" _Emolga! What's gotten into you?!_ " Axew said.

" _This is the stupidest thing you've ever done! And believe me, I've seen you do some pretty idiotic things._ " Snivy said.

"Not helping us, Snivy." I said.

James called out Yamask and had it use Haze, which clouded the air and our vision with thick smog. Through the Haze, I saw Emolga dragging Axew away. Snivy saw it, too, and she used Vine Whip to push her away.

"Emolga, why are you doing this?!" Iris said.

" _That's enough, Emolga!_ " Snivy said.

" _You stay out of this, you overgrown weed!_ " Emolga said.

Snivy growled and used Vine Whip on Emolga, sending her back. Emolga recovered and used Hidden Power on Snivy, but she dodged.

"Emolga, stop!" Iris said.

Emolga used Hidden Power again, but Snivy deflected it with Leaf Blade, sending it into the forest. She then used Discharge, but Snivy broke out of it.

" _Stop this before it gets out of hand!_ " Snivy said.

" _Why don't you make me?!_ " Emolga said.

" _You're act like a huge baby! You get in trouble, and you cry and fuss like a whiny brat because you can't take responsibility!_ "

" _Oh, yeah?! Come here, and I'll give_ you _something to cry about!_ "

"Something tells me neither of these lugs are gonna back down." Meowth muttered.

Snivy attacked Emolga with Leaf Blade, slapping it across her face.

"Snivy, stop!" Ash said, running over to her. "Emolga's your friend."

" _Ash is right. Let's all just relax._ " Pikachu said.

Snivy crossed her arms and turned away. "I _have no problem with that. Try getting Emolga to do the same!_ "

Suddenly, the bushes nearby burst apart, and a Exploud stomped onto the field. Snorting in a huge amount of air, it shot Flamethrower at us.

"An Exploud?!" Cilan said.

"I gotta check it out..." Ash said, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Oh, no, you don't!" I cried, snatching the Pokédex away. "Its name is a combination of explode and loud! Does that give you a hint to what it's like?!"

Exploud turned to us and shot Flamethrower again. Ash and I cried out, and I tackled him out of the way. Thunder Punch formed in its hand, and we ran around screaming as it chased us.

" _Iris!_ " I heard Axew cry. We stopped and turned as Emolga dragged Axew into the Team Rocket balloon.

"Axew, no!" Iris cried.

Exploud launched several Hyper Beams in the air as Team Rocket flew away.

"We gotta go!" Ash said.

"But, what about-?" Iris said.

Exploud's next Hyper Beam headed right toward us. I shot my hand out, creating a Hyper Beam that rammed into Exploud's and cancelled the attack.

"Let's _go_!" I cried, shoving my friends away.

* * *

"That Exploud was _really_ mad..." Ash said after we took a break from running for a mile straight.

"There must be a reason why." Cilan said.

An image of Emolga's Hidden Power launching into the forest appeared in my mind.

"I just want to know why Emolga joined Team Rocket!" Iris said, alternating from tightly crossed arms to a pounding foot to the ground. " _What in the world was it thinking_?!"

"Come, now, Iris. I don't think Emolga _really_ joined Team Rocket." Cilan said.

"I'm so angry right now! Right, Snivy?"

" _You said it!_ " Snivy said.

"So, why do you think Emolga would act this way?" Cilan said.

"Well, all I did was tell Emolga to apologize to Axew." Iris said.

"Maybe it has something to do with that." Ash said.

"But... What?"

"I think you've been mistaken, Iris. Emolga and Axew were trying to speak up about that incident, but you were too busy chastising Emolga." I said.

"Perhaps that bump on Axew's head had nothing to do with Emolga." Cilan said. "Unfortunately, Axew's the only one who knows!"

"So we have to find Axew and Emolga!" Ash said.

We called out Charizard, Dragonite, and Articuno, and had them look for Emolga. I cupped my chin in my hand and scanned the area around me. I paused when I saw a large, rounded indent next to a boulder, which I assumed was where Axew landed after hitting its head.

"I wonder..." I mumbled.

I walked over to the indent. I placed my hand over it and closed my eyes.

" _Emolga, why are you doing this?_ " a voice echoed in my head. " _Iris is really worried about you._ "

I gasped, drawing the attention of my friends.

"What is it, Rylee?" Iris said.

"Shh!" I hissed, closing my eyes again. "I think I'm able to reach Axew."

"Really?!"

"SHHH!"

Iris closed her mouth and stepped back.

" _Why would you ever think about joining Team Rocket?_ " Axew said.

I heard a giggle, which I figured belonged to Emolga. " _Relax! I'm not_ really _a part of Team Rocket! I only joined them so I could prove to Iris that I'm more than a little troublemaker. I'm going to let Team Rocket go along with their plan, which is to use you as bait to attract Pikachu so they can catch him. But just at the last moment, I'll swoop in and save the day! Then we can all go back to Iris and the others. No problem!_ "

" _Really?_ "

" _Promise! Please, Team Rocket's too stupid to see any of this coming._ "

I removed my hand from the indent and stood up.

"So?! What's happened to Axew and Emolga?!" Iris said.

"Emolga's only pretending to be a part of Team Rocket. It's pulling this act because it wants to get Iris's attention." I said.

"That Emolga..." Ash chuckled.

"Why would Emolga go through all that trouble?" Iris said.

"There must be more to the story than what we know." Cilan said.

Articuno, Charizard, and Dragonite returned with sightings of Axew. They led us to a field in the forest, where Axew was perched on a rock.

" _Axew!_ " Pikachu cried, running over to his friend. However, after a few steps, Pikachu fell into a hole. Wrapped up in a net, it was pulled over to Team Rocket.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Ash said.

"What's going on is us, you dummy." Jessie said.

"Twerps always make things quite crummy." James said.

"That's enough motto for today!" Meowth said.

" _At least they kept it short._ " Zorua said.

"We'll be taking Pikachu, now. Thank you!" Jessie said.

Pikachu tried to use ThunderBolt to break out of the net, but to no avail. Jessie and James called out Woobat and Yamask.

" _Iris! Do something!_ " Axew said.

"Axew!" Iris reached her hand out to Axew. She stopped suddenly, staring forward with a surprised expression for several seconds. She took a few steps forward and bowed. "Emolga, I'm so sorry I misunderstood! Now, I realize you were only trying to protect Axew from that Galvantula!"

"Huh?" Cilan, Ash, and I said.

"Galvantula? How did Iris know about that?" Ash said.

"Wait a second..." I said, and my eyebrows shot up. "Did _Iris_ just have a vision?!"

Ash and Cilan glanced at me while I gawked at Iris.

"Perhaps the bond between her and Axew allowed for Iris to tap into its memories and find out what happened." Cilan said.

"Hey, wouldn't it be hilarious if Iris was a Pokémon Guardian?" Ash chuckled. I shot him a glare and he cowered back.

"Please, Emolga, can you forgive me?" Iris said.

Emolga, stunned for a few seconds from surprise, waved her hand dismissively. " _It's no big deal!_ "

" _Although, you still didn't have to get so_ into _it._ " Snivy said, crossing her arms.

" _Come on, Axew, let's go!_ "

I heard Jessie laugh, and I looked up at Team Rocket. A chill rushed down my spine from the sinister looks on their faces.

"We don't think so!" Jessie said.

"Forgive and forget's not the Team Rocket way!" James said.

"Now, lower the boom!" Meowth said. He pulled out a remote and pressed a button. The Team Rocket balloon came down with a large, glass container attached to the basket. The container came down over Emolga and Axew, trapping them inside.

"Emolga! Axew!" Iris cried.

"What _is_ that?!" Cilan said.

"One more pushy-wushy!" Meowth said, pushing another button. The closed-off section of the container opened, and Exploud stomped towards Emolga and Axew.

"Exploud can be one unhappy camper when its beauty sleep is rudely interrupted." James said.

"For betraying us, Emolga and Axew are going to, what I like to call, Paybackville." Jessie said. "And then you'll watch them become Team Rocketeers right before your eyes!"

"No, you can't!" Iris said.

I watched Exploud get closer to Emolga and Axew. Axew whimpered. Emolga pushed Axew back, holding its arms to the side. This all seemed too planned to me. Did Team Rocket find out about Emolga's secret schemes?

" _If you hurt my friend, you're gonna have to deal with me!_ " Emolga said.

Exploud unleashed Thunder Punch and Flamethrower, each time Emolga shoved the two of them away.

"Dragonite, save Emolga and Axew! Please, hurry!" Iris said. "Ice Beam!"

Dragonite used Ice Beam, but it ricocheted off. He also used Dragon Rush, but it didn't so much as dent the box. Exploud lunged at Axew with a Thunder Punch, but Emolga shoved him out of the way and took the attack. Charizard used Wing Attack, but received the same results as Dragonite. Team Rocket chuckled sinisterly.

"Underestimate Team Rocket?" Jessie said. "Bad twerps."

"They'll never learn." James said.

Exploud held Axew up by the curved horn on its head and dropped it into its mouth.

"Axew! _NO_!" Iris cried.

Emolga used Hidden Power, but it bounced off Exploud's head. Suddenly, Dragon Rage gushed out of its nostrils and the tubes on its head. Exploud opened its mouth, thick smoke coming out of it, and Axew jumped out. Emolga and Iris sighed in relief. Ash had Snivy go after Team Rocket and retrieve Pikachu. It dodged Woobat's and Yamask's attacks and hit them with hers, then used Leaf Blade to free Pikachu.

"Good work, Snivy!" Ash said.

"We've still got that cranky Exploud, punks!" Jessie said.

Exploud launched several Hyper Beams at Emolga and Axew, and they ran frantically around the container to dodge them. Dragonite used one final Dragon Rush, and the glass container cracked open. Axew and Emolga jumped out of the container, and a few seconds later, Exploud did the same and chased them around with a pulsing Thunder Punch. With the combined force of Dragon Tail, Dragon Rush, and Steel Wing, Charizard, Dragonite, and Articuno sent the Exploud flying back into the Team Rocket balloon. Team Rocket blasted off.

"Emolga, are you okay?" Iris said, kneeling down to her Pokémon. "Thank you for protecting Axew!"

" _It was nothing, really!_ " Emolga said.

"I'm really sorry. I had the facts all wrong."

" _You're forgiven._ "

" _But next time, have your impromptu acting scenes require a little less... danger._ " Snivy said, rolling her eyes. Emolga giggled, and she and Axew started playing once again.

"The sounds of happy playing." Cilan said.

"Yeah." Ash said.

"But I still have a long way to go before I can truly be able to understand my Pokémon." Iris said.

"By living alongside and battling with your Pokémon, you'll be fine!" Cilan said.

"Yeah, Cilan's right!" Ash said.

Iris watched her Pokémon and smiled. "Yeah."

* * *

We returned to the ship and met up with Alexa, and we told her about the interesting events that took place today.

"Sounds like you had quite the adventure." Alexa said.

"We sure did! It was so amazing to be able to understand everything Axew was thinking!" Iris said.

"You know what? Perhaps you're one step closer to becoming a Dragon Master." Cilan said.

"Wow, you think so?! That'd be awesome!"

"Or a Pokémon Guardian." Ash said, bursting into laughter again.

"We've already been over this, Ash!" I said.

Iris laughed. "Thanks, but I'd much rather leave that to Rylee. I'm still a little dizzy from that vision I had earlier."

"Good. Wouldn't want to compete with you." I said. "Even though I'd obviously beat you."

"Hey, what's that mean?!" Iris cried, and the others and I laughed.


	18. So Close, Yet So Far

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 ***ON DECEMBER 31ST, AROUND 8:00 PM PST, I WILL POST AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF MY BIO WHAT STORIES WILL BE PUBLISHED IN 2016. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT THEN. THANK YOU.***

 **Oh, BOY, I've been waiting to post this chapter since A New Dream started. I hope you guys like it. Please keep your fangirl screams to a minimum.**

 **Music for this chapter:**

 **Beginning of chapter: Someday the Dream will End - Final Fantasy X**

 **When the battle between Cilan and Morana begins: Vector to the Heavens (358/2 Days version, not the 1.5 HD Remix version) - Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days**

 **Last two scenes of the chapter: Viola cover of Noel's Theme - Final Fantasy 13-2**

 **All of the music is in the playlist for A Valiant Voice. Link to it is in my bio. If you were to listen to just one, I would recommend the third song.  
**

 **Happy reading!**

* * *

My friends and I stood at the top of the ship, watching the island in front of us slowly get closer.

"We'll be at the next island soon! I'm so excited!" Ash said.

"I wonder what its name is." Iris said.

"It's Paladin Island." Alexa said as she walked over to us. "There's a famous old story about a battle that took place at the foot of the island's lighthouse. It was between the strongest trainer from Unova and the strongest trainer from Sinnoh!"

"That sounds amazing!" Iris said.

"Cilan!" We turned as Porter jogged over to us. "We just got a phone call come in for you from Chili and Cress."

"Chili and Cress?" Cilan said, and he ran inside.

"Who are they?" Alexa said.

"They're Cilan's brothers. The three of them are all gym leaders at the Striaton Gym." I said.

"Oh, wow, I had no idea!"

* * *

~CILAN~

The screen of the video chat was up and running, broadcasting the faces of my brothers, Chili and Cress. However, their concerned expressions displayed hints of bad news.

"Cilan, you're going to Paladin Island, right?" Chili said.

"Uh... yes. Why?" I said.

"We're on our way to Paladin Island now, too!" Cress said.

"But what about the gym?"

"We can explain everything when we see you." Chili said.

The video stopped abruptly, and I crossed my arms.

 _I wonder what could've happened._

I headed back up to the top of the ship, where my friends waited for me.

"So, what did your brothers need?" Iris said.

"Something's happened to them. They're coming to Paladin Island to meet with me." I said.

Rylee's face paled as white as a Vanillite.

"Chili... and Cress are coming?" she said. She cleared her throat and looked away, crossing her arms to make herself smaller.

* * *

~RYLEE~

As the ship docked in Paladin Island, my stomach was as choppy as the waves crashing against the rocks.

"Are you okay, Rylee?" Iris said as we climbed down the boarding ramp. "You don't look so good."

I didn't feel so hot either (I cringed at the horrible, accidental pun.). I couldn't believe I was minutes, maybe even seconds, away from seeing Chili again. It had been so long ago since Driftveil City, where I first met him because he had a temper tantrum and ran away from home. Apparently, by the end of the day, he seemed very fond of me, and as thanks for helping patch things up between him and his partner, Pansear, he planted his lips right on mine. The thought of the event that happened many months ago still sent uncomfortable shivers down my spine. I had a feeling things were going to be awkward; not just for me, but for Chili _and_ Cilan.

Poor Cilan. He witnessed the entire thing. I didn't know at first, but when I did, I wanted to die right then and there. I didn't know how he would handle this reunion; I assumed he would keep whatever discomfort he felt hidden. Or maybe he had already let the whole this go. Whatever it was, it would most likely be a lot more composed than my reaction.

Alexa took off after we docked so she could finish an article that was due today. I sighed; it seemed like we spent more of our time together _without_ her.

"So, what should we do?" Cilan said.

"Man, I'm _starving_." Ash said, gripping his stomach as it uttered a whale-like growl.

"I don't remember when you _weren't_ hungry, Ash. What a little kid!" Iris said.

"Hey, gimme a break!"

I laughed at their childish argument, which distracted me from the events that would soon transpire.

"I've got an idea!" Iris said to Cilan. "Since it always seems to fall upon you to do the cooking for us, how about Ash, Rylee, and I do the cooking for a change?"

" _Us_?" Ash said.

"Now, you don't have to do that. I do the cooking because I adore cooking!" Cilan said.

"And we also don't want to eat burnt food." I said. Iris elbowed my arm.

"Come on, please?" Iris said.

"Yeah, you deserve to take a break every once in a while." Ash said.

"All right, but Pansage and I can help, too. We'll go gather berries for dessert." Cilan said, calling out Pansage.

* * *

Iris, Ash, and I found a picnic area and set up the cooking.

"Are you sure you guys are capable of taking care of lunch?" I said, sitting on the outside of one of the picnic tables with my right leg crossed over my left. I propped my elbows against the table and leaned back.

"Of course we are! What are _you_ doing to help?" Iris said, then she turned around when she heard strange sizzling. "Ash! You're burning the food!"

Ash noticed the flaming pan of food in his hand for the first time and cried out. Iris turned to her pot of food, realizing it was burning, too.

"What am I doing?" I said. "I'm watching this hilarious scene take place."

"This cooking stuff is harder than I thought." Ash said, staring at the black, shriveled food in his frying pan.

"Sure is. Without Cilan, I think we'd be hungry a lot." Iris said.

" _Or dead._ " Pikachu mumbled.

"Hey!" Cilan called as he and Pansage ran over with armfuls of berries.

"Wow, they look yummy!" Iris said.

"Looks like we'll be eating berries for lunch." I said, gesturing to the smoking cooking utensils next to me.

The bushes nearby rustled, and an Abomasnow emerged from the shrubbery. While Ash scanned it with his Pokédex, Cilan offered to share some of their food with Abomasnow. Pansage went over and offered a berry to Abomasnow. Abomasnow scowled and pulled its arm back. With a roar, it swung its arm and smacked Pansage. Pansage cried out, flying back to the ground as the berries he collected scattered all over the place.

"Pansage!" Cilan said, helping his partner sit up.

"That's for getting too close to my Abomasnow." A woman stepped out from behind Abomasnow. She had long, lavender hair with some tied back in a half ponytail and blue eyes. She wore a blue romper with a lighter blue, short-sleeved, cropped jacket, same colored gloves and thigh-high boots, a Togekiss-styled eyepiece on her right eye, and a riding crop in her right hand that she propped over her shoulder.

"So, Abomasnow is your Pokémon?" Cilan said.

"That's right. You have a problem with that?" the woman said.

"It didn't have to attack Pansage for no reason!" Ash said.

"That's right! Pansage was trying to be nice and share!" Iris said.

"If you don't like it, then I suggest you keep your Pokémon in its PokéBall." the woman scoffed. "Children."

We all scowled at her.

"Hey, Cilan!" a voice called.

"Heeeyyy!" another cried. My stomach plummeted to my feet.

Chili and Cress ran down the path toward us.

"Cilan?" the woman said.

"So, you're here." Chili said to the woman.

"You got here fast." Cress said.

"Do you know her?" Cilan said.

"You could say that... in a way." Chili said.

"She's a trainer who recently came to the Striaton Gym and challenged us." Cress said.

"My name is Morana." the woman said, walking over to us, her eyes set on Cilan. "So, you're the little boy called Cilan."

"I don't understand. Will you tell me what's going on?" Cilan said, turning his head to his brothers.

"Gladly. It all began about a week ago." Chili said. "Morana had come to the gym, but she had no intention of fighting us for a badge. She was battling over possession of the Striaton Gym!"

" _What_?!"

"Regardless, they accepted my request. Each battle seemed no more than a minute before I beat them both. Afterward, they told me of the third brother and gym leader, Cilan, who they declared was "unbeatable" and could "wipe the floor" with me." Morana said with a smirk.

"You really told her _that_?" Cilan said to his brothers.

" _I_ didn't." Cress said, crossing his arms and glaring at Chili.

"I guess I was in the heat of the moment." Chili chuckled nervously. Zorua sighed on my shoulder from the unintended, yet horrible pun.

"Then, I guess that explains why you've come all the way here." Cilan said to Morana.

"Exactly. I thought it would be rather cute to have a battle right here on this island, in memorial of the famous battle between Sinnoh and Unova trainers so long ago." Morana said.

"This is a lot more important than that. It's about the Striaton Gym! Its fate rests on the outcome of our battle!"

"Oh, so you _are_ going to accept my challenge? Of course, if you decided to say no, then your beloved Striaton Gym would be mine."

"Don't worry, I accept."

Morana returned Abomasnow to its PokéBall. "Good. One hour from now. I'll be waiting at the lighthouse."

And with that, Morana walked away.

"What a jerk." Iris said.

"I could think of a few more names for someone like her." Chili growled.

"So, what Pokémon are you going to use?" Ash said.

"Isn't it obvious?" Cilan said, looking to Pansage. Pansage cheered.

"Oh, I forgot!" Cress said, and he and Chili pulled out a PokéBall.

"You want to reconnect, too." Chili said.

Cress and Chili called out Pansear and Panpour, and they and Pansage greeted each other with wide smiles and excessive chattering.

"In our battles, Morana had the same strategy: using an Ice-type Pokémon." Cress said.

"And we know she has Abomasnow. I think that means she'll be using an Ice-type this time, too." Chili said.

"But if that's true, shouldn't you use a Pokémon like Crustle, who is really strong against Ice-types?" Iris said.

"Pansage and I have had a special bond for a very long time. We've been together since my earliest days at the gym, and I've been traveling longer with Pansage than anybody else." Cilan said. "That's why winning this battle will mean so much to us!"

"Well, you've convinced me." Chili said.

"And me, as well." Cress said.

"Perhaps a little evaluation time with Pansage will be just the thing." Cilan said. "Pansage shares the leaves on its head with any Pokémon in need- such a wonderfully kind Pokémon! Its special ability is Gluttony, and since Pansage loves to cook, we're a perfect match! Also, Pansage has the knack for finding berries anywhere, so for a connoisseur like myself, nothing could be better! Truly, Pansage and I are the most perfect of partners!"

As Cilan went on to talk about Pansage's moves, I felt eyes on me. I looked over and locked eyes with Chili, who stared at me. Catching himself, he quickly turned away and refocused on Cilan. I shuddered.

"An excellent mix!" Cress commented on Pansage's moveset.

"Yeah! You should be able to beat Morana, for sure!" Chili said.

"Overconfidence is dangerous. I know I'm going to have to rely on every single thing I've learned throughout my traveling time." Cilan said.

"Wow, Cilan. That's a lot of stuff." Iris said.

"Ah, yes, indeed. I've learned so much from battling Ash and from battling alongside him, as well." Cilan said. "And Iris, I've learned a lot from you, too, about the bond between trainer and Pokémon."

"You learned from _me_?" Iris said. She chuckled sheepishly. "Aw, come on, now..."

"Both you and Ash have the amazing gift of drawing the most out of all your Pokémon. Your hearts and theirs match perfectly, and when you're able to do that successfully, it can mean everything!"

"I don't really understand everything you just said, but you're good with Pokémon, you know." Ash said.

"He's right! No one draws out the best of their Pokémon like you, Cilan!" Iris said.

"Thank you. I'm happy to hear that." Cilan said.

"It's all up to you!" Chili said.

"Please defend our gym. For us." Cress said.

"Right. I'll give it all I've got, and I will emerge victorious!" Cilan said.

As my friends started their climb to the lighthouse, my feet seemed glued to the place I stood. I swallowed hard, which nourished the lump forming in my throat. Zorua sensed my distress, and she went ahead with the others.

Cilan... didn't mention me? Such a heartfelt moment for my friends, yet a single word was not said in my behalf, or even _to_ me. Did I mean... nothing to him?

"Rylee." A severe shiver made my insides tremble more violently than an earthquake. I turned around and looked at Chili, who stood awkwardly with his hands clasped behind his back and his head lowered to the ground.

"Hi, Chili." I said, nervously scratching the inside of my thumb with my index finger. _What do I do with my hands?!_

The uncomfortable memory was so heavy between us, I felt like someone was rubbing it in my face.

"Um... I, uh..." Chili said, taking a deep breath and finally meeting my eyes. "I really am sorry about... you know... what happened before."

And just then, all of my nerves flushed away. I couldn't quite explain it. The voice and face that's captivated my heart for so long appeared in my mind once again, assuring me with a smile that told me everything was all right. My shoulders relaxed, and I smiled.

"That was all a thing of the past." I said. "We shouldn't let that get in the way of us being friends."

Chili perked up, and he smiled. He held out his hand. "Yeah. I'd like that."

I shook his hand, and we headed up the trail to catch up with our friends.

* * *

"So, this is where the Sinnoh and Unova trainers battle all those years ago." Ash said as we all craned our heads up at the towering lighthouse.

"But where's Morana?" Iris said.

"Waiting for you." Morana called as she stepped out from behind the lighthouse. "So, little boy, you didn't run away."

Cilan smirked. "And neither did you."

The two of them stood on opposite sides of the field.

"We use one Pokémon each. The battle will be over when either side's Pokémon is unable to continue." Cilan said. "Do you accept?"

"Sure." Morana said.

" _You show her who's boss!_ " Panpour said.

" _Kick her butt!_ " Pansear said.

" _Don't worry, I got this!_ " Pansage said.

Morana called out Abomasnow. A huge blizzard swept into the area, and we shielded ourselves from the biting cold.

"Of course! Its special ability is Snow Warning!" Cress said.

The blizzard disappeared, and the ground was covered with snow.

"Right! Let's start with the proceedings!" Cilan said. "We're going to employ a powerful move that will cut through that white, velvet blanket like a knife through butter! Pansage, Bullet Seed!"

"We'll use Bullet Seed, too!"

Both Pokémon shot powerful seeds of energy at each other. Abomasnow's move was more powerful and plentiful, and Pansage jumped out of the way to avoid a cluster of seeds.

"Now, use Dig!"

Pansage dove into the snow, narrowly missing another barrage of Bullet Seed.

"Pansage barely managed to miss that!" Iris said.

"Hey, Cilan! Counterattack!" Ash cried.

Pansage burst from the ground behind Abomasnow and body slammed into it.

"YES!" Chili cried.

"Excellent work!" Cress said.

All I could do was bite my fingernails.

"Strength, let's go!"

Abomasnow charged up and swiped its arm, smacking Pansage away. Pansage flipped over and landed on his feet.

"Nice recovery! Now, Solar Beam!"

"Blizzard!"

The two moves cancelled each other out. Cilan let out a frustrated sigh, then quickly regained his composure a second later.

"Right! I'm a Pokémon Connoisseur! So, guess what time it is?!"

"Oh, I know, I know!" Ash cried while Iris groaned beside me.

"That's right! It's EVALUATION TIME!"

"Huh?" Morana said.

"And we know what Evaluation Time means!" Chili said.

"It's a sure sign that Cilan is battling at his absolute best!" Cress said.

"First, the Frost Tree Pokémon, Abomasnow's, special ability is Snow Warning; a perfect match for the way you conduct yourself in the icy way you do." Cilan said. "But that's not the best way for a trainer and Pokémon to become one. Rather, it's better to reach out with warmth and caring!"

"Who cares about warmth and caring?" Morana said.

"Me! Without a deep connection, you and your Pokémon can't wage a battle with depth, and your strategic recipe becomes boring and predictable." Cilan said.

" _Who knew Cilan was so sassy?_ "Zorua giggled.

"Your tiresome tongue-wagging is becoming boring and predictable-" Morana said, she raised her riding crop to call her next move, but Cilan interrupted.

"I wonder... I've seen countless Pokémon battles during the time I've been on this journey, and I've experienced battles firsthand. During that time, I've had deep battles and shallow ones; ones that were transparent and light, and ones that were rich and thick; spicy battles that bite your tongue, and mild battles that go down easily. I've even had wild battles that left a rough feeling at the back of my throat and a bitter taste on my palate, and even more kinds of battles I haven't each touched upon. And the one thing I've learned from all of them is the pure joy of joining one's heart together with Pokémon! That's the ultimate." Cilan said.

"Joining hearts is what it's all about!" Ash said.

"Sure is!" Iris said.

"In the very same way, we three brothers have joined our hearts together as one." Chili said.

"Right." Cress said.

"I remember how we simply enjoyed battling among the three of us as kids, but as we grew older, we each developed our own unique battling styles."

"Later, when all three of us became gym leaders, we learned to support each other's weak points while constantly striving to enhance each other's strong points."

"As we continued to help each other become stronger as gym leaders and trainers, it became clear: we realized the most important thing is for trainer and Pokémon to become one!" Cilan said.

Morana scoffed. "What a bore! The only important thing is to keep winning! The only thing that matters to me is the thrill of victory!"

" _This lady needs a better hobby._ " Zorua said.

"Maybe for you, but we've all discovered that even if you somehow manage to win... if you're not one with your Pokémon, you'll never experience the true joy of winning!"

"Enough. Your time for this nonsense is over. Now, use Sheer Cold!"

"Pansage, dodge it with Dig!"

Pansage dove into the earth once more as Abomasnow's powerful move zoomed over.

"Aim at the hole and use Blizzard!"

Abomasnow stood over the hole and opened its mouth as the Blizzard began to grow.

"Bullet Seed!"

Pansage shot a barrage of energy seeds from the hole, nailing Abomasnow.

"Pansage, Rock Tomb!"

Pansage burst from the ground behind Abomasnow.

"Behind you!"

Pansage raised its arms and created a giant boulder. Abomasnow whipped around and shot Blizzard at Pansage, which hit and encased Pansage in a block of ice.

"Now, let's find out if your oneness can help Pansage escape from its icy predicament." Morana said. Cilan growled. "And if it can't... perhaps we'll just crush that ice! Strength, let's go!"

Abomasnow bulked up and charged towards Pansage.

"Look out!" Iris and Ash cried.

"Cilan!" Chili and Cress exclaimed.

 _You can't give up!_ I thought, clutching Articuno's PokéBall tightly between my fingers.

And yet, through all the screams, my unspoken plea reached Cilan's ears. He looked over at me and smiled.

 _I won't. Not now, not ever._ His voice echoed in my head. I gasped quietly as he turned back to Morana.

"Even inside all that ice, the sun's ray's can still permeate... and my voice can reach Pansage, too!" Cilan said.

Pansage struggled in the ice, but I saw the sparkles of light shimmering inside. The cheers and shouts filled the air around me.

"Pansage, Solar Beam!"

The ice shattered, and Pansage launched the Solar Beam at Abomasnow. It slammed into its stomach, knocking it to the ground.

"But how?!" Morana cried.

"All right, Pansage, Rock Tomb! _Full power_!"

Pansage launched an enormous boulder at Abomasnow. It made direct contact, creating a heavy layer of smog. When the air cleared, Abomasnow lay unconscious on the ground. Morana collapsed to her knees, absolutely stunned. Pansage and Cilan ran to each other and embraced.

"Wow! They did it!" Iris shrieked. "Cilan, that was _awesome_!"

"Way to go!" Ash said.

"Cilan did it!" Chili said.

"I knew he would." Cress said.

In my heart, I cheered as loudly as I could. I felt too paralyzed and exhausted to speak. Pansage and Cilan looked over at Abomasnow. As it sat up, Pansage walked over to it and offered it a tuft of leaves from its head. Hesitantly, Abomasnow accepted it, and when it gobbled it up, it let out a happy cry.

"We're all friends after the battle." Cilan said.

"Yeah, all Pokémon should be friends." Ash said as he, Iris, and I walked over to Cilan.

"Right!" Iris said.

Morana returned Abomasnow to its PokéBall and started to walk away.

"Wait a minute-" Cilan said.

"The next time I see you, I'm going to beat you." Morana said before walking away. As soon as she was out of sight, I found a little bit more courage to breathe easily.

* * *

"Hurry, or the ship will leave without us!" Alexa called from the boarding ramp.

"So, did you finish up your article?" Ash said.

Alexa chuckled nervously. "Well, actually, no."

Iris, Ash, and I laughed and turned to Cilan and his brothers.

"So, the ship back to Unova leaves in an hour. Guess we should say goodbye." Chili said.

"Take care, and thank you." Cress said.

"But- oh..." Cilan said, bowing his head.

"Hey, Ash, Iris, and Rylee! Take good care! And take good care of Cilan as well!" Chili said.

"Right! We won't let you down!" Ash said.

"Spoken just like a little kid!" Iris chuckled.

"You know... I've been thinking..." Cilan said. "Maybe I should go back to the Striaton Gym with the two of you."

We all gasped in surprise. My heart sank clear past my feet and buried itself six feet into the ground.

"But why were you thinking about that?" Cress said.

"The truth is, I worry about the Striaton Gym. What if somebody else like Morana shows up and challenges you again?" Cilan said.

I clutched my locket. Cilan couldn't seriously be thinking about leaving us? Leaving me? I couldn't witness anymore of this. I set Zorua down on the ground and ran up the boarding ramp into the ship.

" _Rylee, where are you going?_ " Zorua called.

* * *

~TPPOV~

"Cilan, I want you to answer this question honestly." Cress said. "Are you enjoying your journey?"

Cilan looked up at his brother in surprise. Iris and Ash watched Cilan as they held their breath with nervous anticipation. Cilan stared at his brothers as he thought deeply about this question. His mind played back every memory he could remember: the battles he had, the friends he met, and the events he experienced.

However, all those memories came together and summarized into one thing: one face. One person. One girl. Cilan smiled.

"Yes." he said sincerely.

"Then don't worry about the gym." Cress said.

"Right! I promise that, from here on out, Cress and I will defend it just as you would!" Chili said.

"Cress... Chili..." Cilan said.

"Travel to your heart's content! We want that for you." Cress said.

"Thank you!" The three pairs of hands joined together, both the brothers and their partner Pokémon. Chili and Cress said their last goodbyes and walked away to their boat.

Cilan turned around and faced his friends, who beamed at him with wide grins.

But the face he wanted to see was no longer there.

* * *

~RYLEE~

I sat in my little room in the near dark, with only the sliver of light from the hallway peeking in through the cracked door and the moonlight outside pouring in. I sat on the window seat and stared at the waves below as they caressed the ship. The breeze from the open window bit at my skin. In a few minutes, my room would be completely black, but the voices and memories of today echoed in my mind with many colors.

The door creaked open, and I turned my head, only to quickly turn away as Cilan stepped in the room.

"You took off so suddenly. I was wondering where you were." Cilan said as he approached me.

"Sorry." I mumbled. A gust of sea wind blew into the room. It carried through to the door, and I heard it click shut. I shivered and closed the window, keeping myself half-turned away from Cilan.

"You know, it really was nice to see my brothers again. I think when we dock at the next island, I'll-"

"I don't want you to go!" I cried, jumping to my feet.

Cilan stared at me, surprised. I let out a deep breath, nervously looping a piece of hair around my ear.

"This journey wouldn't be the same without you! You're the only one that's made me feel comfortable and okay with who I am. What am I supposed to do without you? How could you even _think_ about leaving me, Iris, and Ash?"

A soft smile stretched over Cilan's lips. He took a step closer and wrapped his arms around me. I sighed and linked my arms around his waist. A tear escaped from the corner of my eye.

"I'm not going anywhere." Cilan said.

I pulled away and wiped my eye. "You're... you're not?"

Cilan shook his head. "Although I did want to return with my brothers to the Striaton Gym, I realized how much I enjoyed traveling with you, Iris, and Ash. I've learned so much from the three of you."

I looked away. "Then why didn't you say anything about it?"

"Huh?"

I sat back down on the window seat and held my hands in my lap. "Earlier today, you talked about how much Iris and Ash have impacted your life and how great they were. I'm... a little hurt that you didn't say anything about me."

Cilan chuckled, and I looked at him with a mild scowl.

"Why are you laughing?" I said.

"I didn't talk about you because there's so _much_ to talk about concerning you. I couldn't narrow it down to a few simple things." Cilan came over and sat down next to me. "You have such a natural connection to Pokémon. You radiate such a strong and secure glow that people and Pokémon find comfort in, and so many enjoy having you in their presence. You're not afraid to admit your mistakes and ask for help, even if it takes a little bit of a push, but the support of those you hold closest to your heart is what helps make you strong. You have amazing gifts and talents, which you are always so willing to use for the well-being of those around you. You're kind, smart, funny, and are capable of handling everything life throws at you with graceful composure."

My eyes shook as tears filled them. I looked down at my hands. "Wow... No one's ever said that about me before."

I watched Cilan's hand move and rest over mine. I looked back up at him.

"That's because... no one feels the same way I do about you." he said.

I gulped. My heart pounded in my chest, and I worried the people down the hall could hear it. The sweet look in his eyes made it impossible for me to look away... or even breathe. Was he staring at my lips? Was _I_ staring at _his_? _Oh, gosh, what is happening?!_

All the voices drowned out as Cilan leaned in. I found myself leaning in, too.

The door flew open. Cilan and I pulled away and looked at the large rectangle that spewed light into the room. Standing in the middle of the light was Ash.

"Cilan, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Ash said. "You were so awesome against Morana today. I want to have a battle with you!"

Cilan looked over at me, but I kept my eyes on the window seat cushions, a light blush blooming in my cheeks. He smiled and stood up.

"All right." Cilan said. Ash smiled and took off down the hallway. Cilan walked over to the door. He placed his hand over the doorknob and paused. He turned back to me. "Goodnight, Rylee."

I looked up at him, finding it difficult to speak. "Goodnight, Cilan."

He closed the door behind him, leaving me in the dark once again. But this time, the dark was filled with warmth that wrapped around me, making my heart skip several beats and my stomach flutter with nervous anticipation. I looked out the window and at the big, bright moon midst the sea of stars. As far as I knew, my heart was soaring out there among those celestial bodies. I sighed and leaned my head against the window.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Next week is the last chapter of A Valiant Voice. Please prepare yourself accordingly for what's coming.**

 **Also, Merry Christmas Eve!**


	19. Until We Meet Again

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

 **Aaaand here it is: the last chapter of A New Dream AND the last chapter of the A Valiant Voice series. It's been a very crazy journey since I first started writing this, and I've achieved goals that my twelve-year-old self could only dream of.**

 ** _Please_ participate in the music cues that are spread throughout this chapter; they will really help set the mood. ****Instead of telling you right now at the beginning of the chapter, I'm telling you right before the moments so you'll remember.** **The music for each of the character's ending credits are their themes that I've had assigned to them since this series began. All of the songs are in the** **Pokémon playlist I've created, and the link is at the bottom of my bio.** **If you have been following along with the music, thank you and good job. If you've been ignoring them, _please_ do it just this once.  
**

 **Thank you for adventuring along with Rylee and her friends. They're going to miss you.  
**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

It had been quite a while since I'd been in the Cataclysm of Dreams. That night, I found myself within its walls once again. The darkness felt like an old friend. I walked through until I saw another one.

"Hi, Dad." I said.

Dad smiled at me. If I wasn't mistaken, something about him seemed... different. I could physically see the results of a heavy burden being lifted off my father's shoulders, and he seemed more energized, more light. More free.

"Rylee, it's been so long." Dad said. "How have your travels been?"

"My friends and I are taking a cruise through the Decolore Islands." I said. I tried to keep a smile on my face. "We're heading back to Kanto, Ash's home region. Our journey is... almost over."

"Really? Then I've caught you at a good time. I need you to come home as soon as possible."

My face paled. "What? Why?"

"Your journey has brought out many secrets hidden inside you, and the time has come that you fully awaken and discipline such attributes. The time has arrived for you to begin training to become a Pokémon Knight."

"A Pokémon Knight... right..." I wanted to be excited; I tried desperately to. After all, becoming a Pokémon Knight was my main goal when I first started my journey. But... I've changed since then. I've found a new, more desirous wish that I want to pursue, and my past goals became the farthest from my mind.

Dad smiled and squeezed my shoulders. "It'll be so great to see you again, Rylee."

"Yeah..." Dad disappeared, and the darkness around me suddenly shifted into a cold, lifeless prison.

* * *

 **~MUSIC: SOMEDAY THE DREAM WILL END - FINAL FANTASY X~**

"Rylee, wake up!" I heard Ash's voice as I slipped back into consciousness. I felt him shaking my shoulder with great excitement. "Come on, it's time to get up!"

I groaned, sat up, and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I plopped my hands down on the bed and looked at Ash.

"What is it, Ash?" I said.

"We're here! We're in Kanto!" Ash said. "Our cruise is finally over!"

The air in my lungs stopped abruptly, as if someone took one of these pillows and suffocated me with them.

"Yay." I said, my voice cracking.

"Come on, let's go!"

I watched Ash run out of the room, staring at the empty door frame until I could no longer hear his pounding footsteps. I buried my hands in my hair and squeezed my eyes shut.

"No..."

* * *

My friends and I stood at the top of the ship and watched the ocean. I leaned over the balcony while several waves of nervous nausea washed over me.

"Look, a Gyarados!" Ash cried, pointing at the giant Water-type as it burst through the surface of the water and leaped through the air like a dolphin. "I can't believe I'm finally back home!"

"I've never seen a Gyarados in person before!" Iris said, clasping her hands together.

"The way it flings itself from the water shows such a spicy zest for life!" Cilan said.

"Cilan, is it a Dragon-type?"

"No, it's not. It's a Flying- and Water-type."

"I see... but I'm still getting psyched thinking about all the different Pokémon!"

"Me, too!"

"You're gonna see a _lot_ of Kanto region Pokémon you've never seen in person before!" Ash said.

"We're really close to Vermillion City." Alexa said, walking over to us. Another wave of nausea hit me.

"I'll bet you've got a lot of cool stuff planned once we get to Kanto." Ash said.

"I'm going to interview the famous Professor Oak."

"Yeah?! You're gonna like him!"

"Do you know the Professor?"

"Yeah! You see, Pallet Town's where I come from. Pikachu and I met at Professor Oak's laboratory."

"Is that right? I didn't know that!"

The foghorn blew, but it very well might've sounded like an atomic bomb in my ears. My thoughts of woe were halted as the ship suddenly came to a stop.

"That was weird... What just happened?" Ash said.

The ship began to go backward. A few moments later, the ship continued to sail smoothly. We looked over the balcony and saw something poking out of the water.

"Is that a _giant_ Basculin?" Ash said.

"I believe that was the cause of our problem." Porter said, looking through a pair of binoculars.

"I feel kinda bad for it..." Iris said.

"I hope it's not hurt." Cilan said.

About five minutes later, we saw the Team Rocket hot air balloon floating down toward us.

"Oh, no, not _them_." Ash said.

"They don't call us Team Rocket for nothin'!" Meowth said. "Launch!"

The bottom of the basket opened, and several missiles dropped out and zoomed toward the ship. Each released a claw that gripped the sides of the ship, and a large, balloon popped out from it and started to inflate. Once they were fully inflated, the ship was lifted into the air. The screams of the passengers filled my ears, and Porter ordered them to return to their cabins.

"Team Rocket! What are you guys up to this time?" Ash said.

"We're up to the best of the best, you see!" Jessie said.

"And that would be Jessie, Meowth, and me!" I... _assumed_ that was James. A ladder dropped from the bottom of the basket, and Jessie and Meowth were on it.

"To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie said.

"To unite our people within our nation!" Jessie was gone and replaced by James.

 _But why does his left leg look terribly feminine... and is wearing a thigh-high boot?_

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" Jessie returned again, and it was the same thing with her, but her other leg was dress in long trousers.

 _Oh._

"All right, Team Rocket, what kind of trouble are you trying to stir up this time?" Iris said.

"Whatever you stir up always ends up being bitter and half-baked." Cilan said.

"It's our once-in-a-lifetime, farewell to Unova, big give-away sale." Jessie said.

"Give away your Pokémon to us, and we'll reward you by dropping this dinghy back down into the drink." James said, which I concluded to actually be Jessie, who was dressed up half like herself, half like James. Not that my friends had any clue. Do they ever, really?

"Forget it!" Ash said. "You're not getting a thing!"

Meowth laughed. "What a bunch of hooey! Your PokéBalls are so close to being ours, we're getting ready to throw 'em a "Welcome To the Team" party!"

"No way!"

"Pardon me. Have you check to see if your PokéBalls are safe lately?" Porter approached us, and when I saw him, I immediately knew it wasn't him. His hair was much too large, he seemed shorter, his eyes were a different color and shape, and his body was a lot thinner than I remembered. "I certainly don't meant to intrude, but would you mind checking your PokéBalls' safety status?"

I growled in frustration. With a grunt, I swiped my fist at "Porter", knocking him right in the face. "Porter" cried out and fell to the ground.

"Rylee, why'd you do that?!" Ash said.

I glared at my friends in frustrating disbelief. I snapped my fingers, and Zorua jumped down from my shoulder. Latching her teeth onto "Porter"'s hair, she ripped off the giant wig, revealing a very dazed James.

"It's you!" Cilan said.

"You little twerp! How dare you see right through our plan!" Jessie glared at me, revealing both sides of her Jessie-James costume.

"We've had enough of your stupid schemes!" Iris said. "Why don't you do something better than follow us around?!"

My friends called out their Pokémon: Charizard, Pikachu, Axew, and Pansage. Nailing them with a combined force of Thunderbolt, Dragon Rage, Solar Beam, and Flamethrower, Team Rocket crashed into their balloon and blasted off for what I sincerely hoped to be the last time. Ash called out Snivy and had it use Leaf Storm to puncture the balloons so the cruise ship gradually descended back into the water.

"Nice job with detecting Team Rocket before anything could get really bad." Ash said to me.

I nodded, but a smile couldn't surface on my face. I turned my eyes back to the ocean. Alexa approached us, and when my friends talked about all the things Team Rocket did, the journalist declared she missed everything. She had no idea that any of that was going on.

 _Some journalist you are..._

"Look, a Magikarp!" Ash cried as a Magikarp burst from the water, similar to the Gyarados from earlier.

"Look out there! It's a whole bunch of beautiful Lapras!" Iris said, pointing excitedly at the group of Transport Pokémon.

"Look who's sitting on those rocks! It's a Slowpoke and Slowbro!" Cilan said, and my friends gawked at those Pokémon as well.

"Catching a glimpse at all those Pokémon is a sure sign that we're getting quite close to the Kanto region." Porter said as he approached us. "And, if you look over there, there it is! Vermillion City!"

We saw the large, green mountains coming slowly into view. I looked at my friends, each of them brimming with excitement at the sight of the long-awaited land. My heart deflated, becoming as flat as Team Rocket's balloons.

* * *

"Best wishes! Thank you all so much for choosing to ride with us!" Porter called, waving from the balcony.

"Thank you, Porter! We had an awesome time!" Ash said.

"We sure did! Thanks!" Iris said, waving back.

"Your expertise was a perfect seasoning to our trip!" Cilan said.

We watched the ship pull away, and with it the countless adventures that came with it, reducing them to memories. We went to a café to get some lunch. The four of us sat around a table out on the patio. Pikachu and Axew chattered excitedly while Zorua contently listened.

" _Oh, man, wait until you see all the cool Pokémon around here!_ " Pikachu said. " _Look! Up there!_ "

I followed his finger and watched a group of Pidgey fly by.

"Look at them! I'm so totally psyched that we finally arrived in Kanto! I can hardly sit still!" Iris said. She squealed and hugged Axew tightly. "Hey, I can go to the Johto region and see Clair at the Blackthorne City and ask her if she'll have a battle with me as part of my training! I'm _so_ excited after seeing all the different Pokémon that live in the Kanto region! I can't stay put!" Iris twirled around and looked out into the town. "I wanna get going right now!"

"Actually, I have the appetite to do the same." Cilan said.

"Huh?!" Ash said, matching my thoughts.

"Mr. Briney from Dewford Town in Hoenn is holding the Old Rod Fishing Rally soon. It's _the_ Pokémon fishing competition! And, as a Fishing Connoisseur, I just have to attend!"

"Makes sense... I understand."

I couldn't. My heart refused to. I gulped in air, realizing I had stopped breathing. Cilan checked his Town Map.

"You're going to the Blackthrone Gym, right, Iris?" he said. "Then you can take the train from the local station in Saffron City. From there, you can catch the Magna-train to Johto."

Iris squealed. "Really?! Awesome!" She sat back down in her seat and nervously shook her legs.

"I've always wanted to travel that line. Since we're headed in the same direction, I'll go with you partway."

These words jabbed my ears like a thousand knifes. I shut my eyes tight, trying to keep the tears from spilling out, but it only seemed to make it worse. I choked back a sob and abruptly stood up from my seat, causing my chair to fly back and hit the ground. Covering my mouth to try and keep it from betraying me again, I ran out of the café and down the street. Zorua leaped off the table and sprinted after me.

"Rylee!" Iris said.

"Come back!" Ash said.

"Rylee, wait!" Cilan said.

* * *

~TPPOV~

The sun began to set, casting an orange glow in the Vermillion City's train station. The train had pulled in, but Iris, Ash, and Cilan were too busy scanning the crowds.

"Where's Rylee?" Iris said. "I haven't seen her since she took off earlier."

"Maybe... she already left..." Cilan said.

The train blew its horn, signaling its five-minute warning. Iris, Ash, and Cilan looked at each other with sad concern.

"Hey, guys!" a voice called. The three craned their heads in the direction of the voice, and they saw Rylee walking towards them.

"Rylee, there you are! We were worried you left for good!" Ash said.

"I'm sorry." Rylee said, holding her hands together in front of her and staring down at them. "The thing is, I also have my own plans. Last night, I was summoned by my father to return home."

"What was it about?" Iris said.

Rylee shook her head. "I'd rather not say. But it's very important... so I have to leave, too."

"Wow... Then I guess..." Iris sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I told myself I wouldn't cry. I'm really gonna miss you, Rylee. I'll never forget our journey!" Iris and Rylee exchanged a tight embrace. "We started off as friends when our journey first began, but now you've become like a big sister to me."

"I feel the same way." Rylee pulled away and rested her hands on Iris's shoulders. "I hope the next time we meet, you'll be the world's greatest Dragon Master."

Iris smiled through her tears and boarded the train.

"Hey, Rylee, let's have a Pokémon battle the next time we meet!" Ash said, shooting Rylee a thumbs up.

Rylee laughed. "I'd love that, Ash. Until then."

Ash spent a long moment looking at his friends before he smiled and walked away. Within the commotion of the bustling train station, all that remained on that docking area was Rylee and Cilan, who watched each other for several seconds, neither having the courage to do or say anything. Finally, Rylee took a few steps forward and threw her arms around Cilan's neck. Cilan returned the hug, closing his eyes and tightly hugging her waist.

"I guess this is... goodbye." Cilan said.

"Maybe this isn't a real goodbye. Maybe we'll meet again someday." Rylee said.

"Rylee... Is the reason your father summoned you really that important?"

"It is."

"...Is there anyway that I could convince you not to go?"

Rylee pulled away, looking at Cilan in surprise. "What?"

"I've learned so much from you during this journey. You've helped me to enjoy every moment as much as I could. I want to continue journeying with you. I want you to stay." Cilan said with a small smile.

Rylee's eyes shook. "Cilan..." She stepped back and looked away. "I... I can't. I really want to, and I wish I could... but I can't. I'm sorry."

Rylee turned around, but Cilan reached out and grabbed her hand.

"What is so important about this task your father has given you? I mean, sure, he might need you, but... but I need you, too! Please, Rylee. Please, don't go!"

Rylee bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be." she whispered. "This moment has haunted me for so long... but now that it's here, I have to accept it. Even if it means walking away from the only thing that makes me truly happy."

 **~MUSIC: AERITH'S THEME (REMASTERED) - FINAL FANTASY VII~**

Rylee turned around and, pressing her hand against his chest, kissed Cilan. Cilan recoiled in surprise. Images flooded in his mind, each a memory of the two of them, flowing from Rylee's hand to his mind. Each memory played out in their minds, beginning from when they met to the almost event that happened last night. New images appeared in Rylee's mind as well: the day at the White Ruins. She saw herself lying in Cilan's arms, and she watched him challenge her father, demanding that something be done to save her. She watched the love and pain in his eyes as he held her dying body, and a tear trickled down her cheek.

 _Leaving you is the most painful thing I've ever had to do. Know that you are more important to me than life itself. I care about you... enough to let you go._ Rylee's voice echoed, traveling between her mind to Cilan's. _Cilan... I love you._

Rylee pulled away, managing to easily slip away from Cilan's grasp- something she was both grateful for and torn by. She turned around and walked away, furiously trying to wipe up the tears that endlessly cascaded down her face.

Cilan watched Rylee walk away. His heart ached with each beat, and his mind grew numb. His eyes shook as Rylee's silhouette disappeared into the sunset, and when she was completely gone, Cilan bowed his head and silently wept.

"Cilan, come on! The train's going to leave any minute!" Iris called, emerging from inside the train. She paused when she noticed Cilan's shaking shoulders. "Cilan... are you okay?"

Cilan swiped his arm, drying up his tears on his sleeve, and quickly walked away along the length of the train.

"Cilan! Where are you going?!" Iris called. The doors began to close. "Hang on, Axew."

Iris leaped out of the door and stumbled down the docking area before she found her balance. She looked around, but all of her friends had left. Axew popped out of her hair and chattered, pointing towards the train. Iris turned around and watched it pull out of the station and disappear down the tracks.

Axew placed a hand on her cheek. Iris shook her head and headed for the ticket station.

* * *

~ENDING CREDITS~

 **~MUSIC: AERITH'S THEME (REMASTERED) - FINAL FANTASY VII~**

~RYLEE~

Rylee is seen walking through a forest that's very familiar to her: the forest neighboring her home. She walks absentmindedly through the forest as her feet take her down the path that she's known for many years. Zorua walks by her side, keeping her eyes constantly on Rylee as she watches her with sad acknowledgement. She whimpers and nuzzles her nose against Rylee's ankle, but Rylee doesn't notice it. As Rylee walks, she stops when she feels the toes of her shoe hit something. She looks down and crouches to pick something up. She stands up and examines with wide, shocked eyes the object in her hand: the decaying carcass of a berry. Rylee's mouth falls open slightly as she stares at the fruit, for it is the very same berry that she accidentally threw at Pikachu, right before she found him unconscious in the bushes. That fateful day. A small smile peeks on her face, and her eyes trace to said bush. She tosses the berry into the bush and pauses seconds after. Nothing happens. Rylee's face falls, and she lowers her eyes to the ground and starts walking again.

The day had changed to evening, and the sun began to set. Rylee's eyes had found comfort with the ground many times throughout her long walk home. Finally, Rylee's eyes lift as a voice calls her name. She takes in the sight of her home, and the feeling of it fills her body as she sighs and smiles. Multiple voices call her name again, and she looks forward. Standing at the front door are not one, not two, but three people: Delilah and Brand Runyon, Rylee's parents, and N, her brother. They all stand at the door with face-breaking smiles. The sight of her family, once again completed after more than ten, heartbreaking years, fills Rylee's heart with joy.

But just as soon as it came, it was overwhelmed and smothered by the powerful wave of memories. They hit her, harder than ever before, and Rylee begins to cry. She falls to her knees and sobs uncontrollably, gripping her family locket tightly in her hands. Her family's eyes grow wide with surprise, and Delilah rushes over to Rylee, kneels at her side, and cradles her in her arms. Two PokéBalls clatter to the ground, and Eevee and Leavanny come out. They and Zorua all surround Rylee, gazing at her with sad eyes: Zorua stands up on her hind legs, resting her front paws on Rylee's leg, Eevee nuzzles the other with her nose, and Leavanny kneels on the opposite side of Delilah and places her leafy hands on Rylee's shoulders. Brand steps forward to go and comfort her as well, but a hand clamps down on his shoulder, bringing him to a halt. Brand turns back at N, who watches Rylee with sad eyes. He looks at Brand and shakes his head. Brand looks back at Rylee as she weeps in her mother's arms. His eyes widen as he realizes the reasons for his daughter's anguish. His eyes shake, and he whispers, "Rylee... I'm so sorry."

* * *

~ASH~

 **~MUSIC: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM - CRISIS CORE: FINAL FANTASY VII~**

Ash and Alexa are walking down a path. Ash abruptly stops. A smile spreads across his face, and he and Pikachu take off down the path. At the crest of the hill, Ash stands and gazes at the sight of his hometown: Pallet Town. He and Alexa climb down the hill and into Pallet Town. Each step brings back old memories, causing Ash to take faster and quicker strides. Finally, as Ash's house comes into view, he finally kicks into a run towards it. Mr. Mime, one of his mother's Pokémon, is seen sweeping the walkway of the house. It looks up, hearing a voice call its name, and it sees Ash and Pikachu running towards it. It smiles and cries out before rushing into the house, chattering excitedly. Ash bursts in through the front door, calling out for his mom. Delia Ketchum walks into the entryway with a bright smile on her face as she welcomes Ash home. Ash smiles and runs into his mom's embrace. Ash enters his room, his backpack dangling from his fingers before he sets it on his desk. He reaches into his backpack and pulls out his badge case. He opens it and places it on his dresser, which holds many other precious memories from different regions in the world. Ash stares at his eight Unova badges with a smile, but a few moments later, it fades away.

Ash heads over to Professor Oak's laboratory, where he is reunited with all of his Pokémon. His Unova Pokémon gather together, and as Ash gazes at each of them, a small smile peeks through. He takes a break, laying in the grass and looking up at the sky. One by one, the faces of all his friends flash before his eyes: Gary, Misty, Brock, Tracey, May and Max, Dawn, and finally with the lingering of Iris, Cilan, and Rylee. He reaches his hand out and grips the air, seeming like he's grabbing the sun.

That night, Ash, Alexa, Professor Oak, and Delia Ketchum are seated at a dining table in Ash's house, an array of delicious foods set out before them. As everyone around Ash dishes up their dinner and talks, the conversation turns to Alexa and Professor Oak about Alexa's Pokémon and the different kinds there are in the Kalos region. Alexa comments that there are many amazing types of Pokémon in the Kalos region. Professor Oak turns to Ash, asking him if the Kalos region is going to be the next stop on his Pokémon journey.

Ash is silent as he stares at his empty plate, lost in thought with a blank expression. Finally, he looks up and gazes for a moment at Alexa, then Professor Oak, and then finally keeping his eyes on his mom. A small smile surfaces on his face, and he takes a deep breath. He tells those at the table that he's going to stay home for a while before going on another Pokémon journey. Alexa, Professor Oak, and Delia are all surprised, but they all smile in understanding.

* * *

~IRIS~

 **~MUSIC: VANILLE'S THEME - FINAL FANTASY XIII~**

Iris gazes at the Village of Dragons below her with a big smile. Axew pops out of her hair and chatters excitedly at the wondrous sight. As Iris walks into the village, she stops when she hears a gleeful scream. She turns in the direction and sees her friend, Shannon, sprinting towards her. Iris smiles, and the two share a tight embrace. Shannon bombards Iris with many questions, and Iris laughs it off, telling Shannon that she'll tell her later and would like to take some time to unwind from traveling. Shannon agrees and runs away toward her house. Iris looks around the Village of Dragons, watching people and Dragon-type Pokémon working in their fields and walking by, talking and laughing together. Iris smiles to herself as she remembers her Unova friends.

The area around her disappears, and she looks as if she's inside the eye of a hurricane as the air around her swirls. The area she is in fills with a bright, glowing blue light. Iris looks around in a panic and casts her eyes up to the sky. She freezes with shock and awe as a silhouette emerges from the cluster of clouds directly above her. As the silhouette gets closer, Iris's eyes widen when she realizes she recognizes the shape. The clouds break apart, and Iris watches as the Legendary Deep Black Pokémon, Zekrom, comes down and hovers above her. Axew hides in Iris's hair, and the young girl's knees tremble like she's going to collapse any second. Zekrom reaches out and touches Iris's forehead with one of its claw. Iris's eyes shake as a bright light shimmers between Zekrom's claw and forehead, and her mind is carried away. Zekrom removes its claw, pausing a moment to nod to Iris, and flies back into the clouds. The blue light fades, and Iris returns to the Village of Dragons. However, a large group of villagers, what seems like the entire village itself, crowds around her. Iris stares above their heads, lost in entranced thought. The crowd parts, and the Elder of the Village of Dragons approaches Iris. Taking her face in her wrinkled hands, the Elder carefully examines Iris's eyes. Hers widen at an amazing sight: what seems like words scrolling across Iris's eyes. The ancient words wrap around her hazel irises and stay there, glowing gold. The Elder steps back with a smile. She tells Iris that Zekrom had appeared to her and chosen her as what is called a "Ganesha", holder of incredible and ultimate knowledge and wisdom. The Elder takes Iris's hand and smiles. Iris stares at the Elder with shaking eyes for a few moments. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and opens them, displaying an expression of humble acceptance.

* * *

~CILAN~

 **~MUSIC: A FLEETING DREAM - FINAL FANTASY X (Remix by TPR. Within the entire FFX collection. Shortcut to the song's time is in the video's description.)~**

A train pulls up in the Striaton City Train Station. The intercom screeches as the announcer's warbled voice echoes through the station, announcing the next stops and take-offs. The doors open, and a large group of people file out and go their separate ways. Amid the crowd, Cilan emerges from the train and stops in the middle of the station, looking up at the sky peeking through the station's skylights. His face is expressionless as he looks forward and heads for the exit. The light of the outside sweeps into his eyes, and he blinks rapidly to adjust to it and discreetly wipe away the tears.

Cilan slowly shuffles his feet through Striaton City. His eyes remain to the ground as he aimlessly makes his way past crowds of bustling shoppers and citizens. He tried to bring more positivity to his heart; after all, he was back home. He was about to reunite with his beloved brothers and the Striaton Gym, which has been his home for many years.

But the memories gnaw at his brain and nip at his heels as he continues to walk. Many things had changed, and Cilan had found a new home during his journey. But she had disappeared into the sunset, along with his heart and dreams.

A voice calls out Cilan's name, and he stops and looks up. The Striaton Gym is before him, and standing at the entrance are his brothers, Cress and Chili. They hurry over to him and greet him with wide smiles. Cilan stares blankly at his brothers, and they both notice his unusual behavior as their smiles slowly fade into concern and confusion. Cilan bows his head and walks past his brothers. Chili and Cress watch Cilan enter the Striaton Gym. Cress glances at Chili with a clueless expression, but Chili stares at the entrance with a sad look, knowing the reason for his brother's grief.

Cilan enters his room and drops his backpack to the ground at the foot of his bed. He sits on his bed and buries his face in his hands.

The view pans out slowly to the foot of the bed, where Cilan's backpack is. As the view zooms in on it, there is something recognizable inside one of the side pockets.

Inside the pocket is a short, silver chain. Connected to that chain is a PokéBall charm.

The scene fades to black.

* * *

 **To be continued...**


End file.
